Fighting continues to rage in Libya, as the UN-backed “unity government” and the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) battle on the outskirts of Tripoli.



This fighting has been going on for months, but attempts to get negotiation going to try to resolve the situation aren’t really happening either, with officials saying the US hasn’t committed itself to supporting a diplomatic settlement.



The US initially was backing the unity government. Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are all known to be backing and funding the LNA, however, and it’s not surprising that after President Trump talked with Saudi officials, he immediately shifted his stance and started publicly endorsing LNA leader Gen. Khalifa Hafter, a former CIA asset.



While Trump and other US officials never disavowed the unity government, since they started endorsing Hafter they also stopped calling for a settlement to end the fighting. This has meant fighting has been ongoing ever since, and Hafter remains determined to ultimately conquer the country.





Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz