Podcasts about general khalifa haftar

Earlier this month two dams collapsed after torrential rain in eastern Libya. Whole neighbourhoods in the city of Derna were swept into the sea. More than 15,000 Libyans are dead or missing and the full death toll may never been known. Since the ousting of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been riven by power struggles and currently has two governments - a UN-recognised one based in Tripoli, and another in the country's east backed by General Khalifa Haftar. He has been calling the flooding a natural disaster but many Libyans disagree, saying the eastern government had neglected the dams despite prior warnings about their fragile condition. There have been protests in Derna against the leadership in the region but anger is also being expressed across the country. The anguish and anger across Libya have now developed into demands for an investigation. But who will conduct this investigation? Libya is rich in oil wealth but the country's infrastructure is crumbling and the elites are increasingly accused of rampant corruption. Could this be a reset moment for Libya? Shaun Ley is joined by: Mary Fitzgerald - A writer and researcher focused on Libya and non-resident scholar for the Middle East Institute think tank. Tarek Megerisi - Senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Elham Saudi - Co-founder and Director of Lawyers for Justice in Libya, an NGO focusing on accountability, human rights and the rule of law in Libya. Also in the programme: Othman Abdul Jalil - Minister for health for the Eastern Libyan government. Noura El-Jerbi - A Libyan journalist from Derna but now living in Turkey. Produced by Ellen Otzen and Zak Brophy Image: A view from the area as search and rescue efforts continuing in disaster zones after the floods in Derna. Credit: Hamza Al Ahmar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

On this episode of Going Underground, we firstly speak to the former spokesperson for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He discusses the 2011 intervention by NATO which ‘silenced the Libyan majority,' why he is in Cairo to coordinate political operations with Libyan counterparts, British and US attempts to play with the UN mandate to give ultimate control to the UN instead of the Libyan people, why the Libyan crisis should be viewed as ‘Libya v foreign powers', the potential candidacy of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and why he believes the former leader's son can bring an end to domination by foreign powers and bring about Libyan dialogue, his criticism of General Khalifa Haftar having ‘authoritarian dreams' and being beholden to foreign powers, and much more! Finally, we speak to Juan Garces, the only aide of President Salvador Allende to survive the Augusto Pinochet coup in 1973, on Chile's Independence Day. He discusses the events of the day and how a snap decision by Allende led to him surviving the Pinochet coup, why the coup could not have happened without the election of Richard Nixon, how Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was complicit in the crimes of the Pinochet regime, Australia's involvement in the 1973 coup, his predictions for the upcoming Chilean elections, and much more!

Eighteen fishermen from Sicily are in jail in Benghazi, accused of fishing in Libya’s waters. And in this part of the Mediterranean, rich in the highly-prized and lucrative red prawn, these kinds of arrests are frequent. Usually the Libyans release the men after negotiations. This time it’s different. General Khalifa Haftar – the warlord with authority over the east of Libya – is demanding a prisoner swap: the freeing of four Libyans in jail in Sicily convicted of human trafficking and implicated in the deaths of 49 migrants, in return for the fishermen. For Assignment, Linda Pressly explores a little-known conflict in the Mediterranean - the so-called, ‘Red Prawn War’ and its fall-out. (Image: Domenico Asaro, a third generation fishermen from Mazara del Vallo who has been arrested at sea by Libya three times. Credit: BBC)

The agreement on a permanent ceasefire between military leaders from Libya's government, and those from opposition forces led by General Khalifa Haftar, was brokered by the UN. Also in the programme: Sudan becomes the third Arab country in two months to normalise relations with Israel; and the French government puts 46 million people under nigh time curfew. (Photo: Representatives of the Libyan military government and Libya's opposition forces, shaking hands in Geneva. Credit: EPA).

The deal between military leaders from Libya’s government and those from opposition forces lead by General Khalifa Haftar was brokered by the UN. Also: Sudan becomes the third Arab state in recent months to normalise relations with Israel, and a busker whose guitar was smashed by a passer-by receives a brand new one from a rock star.

Russian dissident Alexei Navalny is granted permission to fly to Germany for suspected poisoning treatment. The Putin critic fell into a coma after being taken ill on a plane. The doctors, in the Siberian city of Omsk, had earlier insisted he was too ill to be moved but, following pressure from his wife, Yulia, Mr Navalny was granted permission to fly abroad for treatment. Also in the programme: A ceasefire agreement is announced in Libya after more than a year of fighting between the UN-backed government in Tripoli and the forces commanded by General Khalifa Haftar. And the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has announced a major gas discovery in the Black Sea. Picture: An ambulance aircraft descends before landing in Omsk. Credit: Reuters/Vadim Nezdatny

In this latest issue of my weekly podcast, we discuss Americans' growing gloom regarding Covid-19. Over the last month, Americans are becoming more pessimistic about whether the pandemic is getting better or worse; about how long it will last; and about its long-term impact on the economy. The shift has come after nearly four weeks of rising daily case numbers--and after nearly one week of rising daily death numbers. According to Pew, 71% of Americans now say that thinking about the state of their country makes them “angry.” Only 17% say “proud.”Economic indicators start to show improvement. The NFIB Business Optimism Index for June rose to 100.6. Though with recent surges in Covid-19 cases, this index could significantly drop for July. Industrial production in the US for June was +5.4%, beating expectations of +4.2%. In China, exports YoY unexpectedly rose +0.5%. This was due to exporting large quantities of facemasks and medical equipment. China's Q2 GDP YoY came in positive at +3.2%. Cancel culture divides liberals. Last week, many prominent liberals sparked controversy by signing a Harper's Magazine letter calling for an end to cancel culture. One of the signers, Bari Weiss, resigned from the NYT after citing bullying from her coworkers regarding the letter. That's the second major resignation from the NYT in the last month. In the broader scheme, cancel culture threatens to split the Democratic Party just as Biden gains ground in the polls.Trump signs the Hong King Autonomy Act. The president has 90 days to submit a list to Congress of Chinese officials who helped erode HK's autonomy. He must also submit a list of finical institutions that worked with said officials. The executive office is then given one year to deal out sanctions.Poland holds presidential elections. President Andrezk Duda won reelection in the closest race in the country's history. He won with 51% of the vote against his opponent's 49%. Duda ran on a socially conservative platform while rallying against the "influence" of Western countries. Turkey and Egypt inch closer to war. The two countries have become entwined with the Libyan civil war. Turkey supports the north-western Tripoli government, while Egypt supports the eastern government of General Khalifa Haftar. Egypt has declared they will invade Libya if the port city of Sirte is captured by Tripoli/Turkey. **********The content featured here is a small part of Hedgeye’s Demography Unplugged, a game-changing market intelligence product brought to you by historian, demographer and best-selling author Neil Howe. Visit us to find out more and subscribe.

In Libya, reports have emerged of the discovery of eight mass graves in the hilltop town of Tarhouna.The area had been occupied by General Khalifa Haftar before his troops were pushed back by the UN backed government of National Accord. We speak to American-Ghanaian mother and daughter Dr. Cynthia Kudji and Dr. Jasmine Kudji. They graduated medical school at the same time and will soon be working in the same hospital. Plus activist Tisiyenji Ngoma in Zambia who organises activities to spread awareness about coronavirus myths.

Forces loyal to the Libyan renegade General Khalifa Haftar say they will withdraw up to 3km (1.9 miles) from the front lines around the capital, Tripoli to make it easier for people to move around during the last days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Nigerian military says two soldiers will undergo counselling for mental stress after they were seen in a video that went viral - condemning the leadership of the military and complaining of how they are ill-equipped to deal with Boko Haram militants. Plus a letter from Zeinab Salih about the Covid-19 crisis in Sudan.

Two teenage girls received a phone call that they never hoped to hear. Their favorite uncle had been killed in Libya, where their family lives. More than 150,000 have been forced to flee their homes in Libya since General Khalifa Haftar started his offensive in Tripoli. We hear from the family in Virginia using the American court system to sue General Haftar.In this episode:Hafed Al-Ghwell, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University, takes us along General Haftar's journey.For more:UN urges Libyans to halt fighting, instead battle coronavirusUS-Libyans sue Khalifa Haftar over civilian deaths near TripoliConnect with The Take: Twitter (@AJTheTake), Instagram (@ajthetake) and Facebook (@TheTakePod).

In 2011, a Nato-led coalition intervened with lethal air power to aide forces taking part in an uprising against Libya’s brutal military leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Shortly after, Col Gaddafi was caught and killed by rebels and there were high hopes the country would become a safer and more open place. But since then, fighting between militias has destroyed much of Libya and two rival governments now vie for full control of the country. As talks take place at the UN in Geneva this week aimed at addressing the crisis, we ask whether it was a mistake for the West to help overthrow Gaddafi? As the government led by General Khalifa Haftar from his base in Benghazi gains increasing influence, is the battle for Libya nearing its completion? And as Gen Haftar is accused of overseeing a crackdown on dissent in the parts of the country he runs, would a Libya governed by him be any better than the one run by Col Gaddafi?

Last month's Berlin Conference was a failed attempt to rein in the plethora of foreign players in Libya's ongoing conflict, between the UN backed ruling government, and those backing strongman General Khalifa Haftar and supplying arms and fighters.

Since the overthrow of long-time dictator Muammar Al Qadafi in 2011, with the support of NATO, Libya was thrown into chaos with no foreseen end. For the past few years a power struggle has emerged between the internationally recognized government led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Haftar who receives military support from regional powers, and the US and Russia The latest episode in this power struggle started in April with the advancement of General Haftar towards the Capital, Tripoli. The confrontations have so far claimed hundreds of lives. Also earlier this month an air strike by the Haftar forces on the Tajoura immigration detention centre in eastern Tripoli claimed the lives of at least 40 refugees and migrants, and injured more than 80. Amnesty International said that around 600 people were trapped in the detention center with no way to escape, AND called for the attack to be independently investigated as a war crime. Khalil Bendib speaks with Ali Ahmida, Professor of Political Science at the University of New England in Maine. He asks him about the regional and international players who are fueling the conflict as well as latest on the battle for Tripoli . Next we speak with attorney Zoha Khalil from Palestine Legal about the resolution proposed by congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota which aims to protect the use of boycott as a constitutionally protected free speech and as a tool for social change. It comes around the same time, the congressional Democrats are advancing an non-binding resolution to condemn the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions or the BDS movement against Israel. Although the resolution does not reference Israel or BDS specifically it is understood to be in response to national and state legislations attempting to criminalize those engaging in boycott activities against Israel.

On this NewsReal, Joe & Niall interview James & JoAnne Moriarty, a couple who witnessed the mayhem unleashed on Libya in 2011, and who have since dedicated their lives to speaking out about what's really happening to that country. Libya has been in the news recently because of a huge push by forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army to retake Tripoli - a development that could end 8 years of hell for the Libyan people. The Moriartys had much to tell us on that...

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by ed Rall, an award-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist. Attorney General William Barr told a House subcommittee today that the Mueller Report will be released within the week, although portions will be redacted. He added that he would explain the redactions line by line with lawmakers. Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Devin Nunes announced that he will send eight criminal referrals to the Justice Department, accusing unnamed people of lying to Congress, misleading Congress, and leaking classified information. Thousands of people continued to flee war-torn Tripoli, Libya today as forces loyal to rebel General Khalifa Haftar bombed the country’s only functioning airport. There were no casualties, but all flights have been cancelled and all passengers evacuated. Here in Washington, President Trump met with Egyption leader Abd al-Aziz al-Sisi over lunch to discuss Libya, security, and the Egyptian economy. A White House spokesman said the pair also discussed human rights. Massoud Shadjareh, founder of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, joins the show. The hosts continue our weekly segment Women & Society with Dr. Hannah Dickinson. In this weekly segment we talk about the major issues, challenges, and struggles facing women in all aspects of society. Hannah Dickinson, a professor and an organizer with the Geneva Women’s Assembly, and Gabriela Quintanilla, Western NY Coordinator for Rural & Migrant Ministry and founder and director of Adelante Student Voices, join Brian and John.Israel held national elections for the Knesset, its parliament, today and the vote counting has begun. Polls indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party will lose between three and five seats, while General Benny Gantz’s Blue and White coalition will likely win a plurality. With that said, Netanyahu has a better chance of cobbling together a coalition of right-wing parties and remaining as Prime Minister and has been pulling out all the stops as the campaign draws to a close, including declaring his support for annexing the West Bank, accusing his opponents of planning to cooperate with Arab parties, and intimidating Arab voters with cameras outside polling places. Sputnik News analyst and producers Nicole Roussell and Walter Smolarek join the show The hosts continue our weekly series False Profits -- A Weekly Look at Wall Street and Corporate Capitalism with Daniel Sankey. Daniel Sankey. He’s a financial policy analyst, joins the show.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker and John Kiriakou are joined by Pedro Rios, Director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program.Kirsten Nielsen, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, resigned yesterday after a meeting with President Trump. The move came amid reports of Trump’s unhappiness over Nielsen’s inability to close ports of entry along the southern border and to stop accepting asylum seekers. Critics of the administration fear that this is a precursor to an intensification of anti-immigrant policies in the run up to the 2020 election Libya sank deeper into chaos over the weekend, with more than 2800 people fleeing fighting in Tripoli, according to the United Nations. Forces under General Khalifa Haftar are approaching the city, and seeking to wrest control of the country from UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj. Libya has been wracked by violence since the US-led NATO attack on the country that resulted in the death of Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011. Vijay Prashad, Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, joins the show. Israelis will go to the polls tomorrow to elect members of parliament, who in turn will elect a prime minister. The vote will bring to an end a race that has pitted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Benny Gantz, the leader of a trio of generals who could end his uninterrupted decade as Prime Minister. Brian and John speak with Nicole Roussell, Sputnik News analyst and one of the producers of this show.President Trump today placed the Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, on the list of international terrorist groups. Iran warned that the move would destabilize the region and it retaliated by officially declaring the U.S. military a terrorist organization. Kevin Zeese. He’s the co-coordinator of Popular Resistance, joins the show. The hosts continue the regular segment “Education for Liberation with Bill Ayers,” where Bill helps us look at the state of education across the country. What’s happening in our schools, colleges, and universities, and what impact does it have on the world around us? Bill Ayers an activist, educator and the author of the new book “about Becoming a Teacher”, joins Brian and John.The new book, “The Russian Peace Threat: Pentagon on Alert”, has been released to rave reviews. It reports on the propaganda that informed US-Russian relations from the Bolshevik Revolution to the present. He takes us through historical events forgotten by time and shaped by propaganda to explain a history that is largely unknown in the west. Brian and John speak with Ron Ridenhour, the author of the book.The hosts continue the weekly half hour segment Technology Rules with Chris Garaffa—a weekly guide on how monopoly corporations and the National Surveillance State are threatening cherished freedoms, civil rights and civil liberties. Web developer and technologist Chris Garaffa joins the show.

This week, the US escalated tensions with Iran when the Trump Administration proposed labeling the Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. The Iranians responded in kind and promised to do the same. We speak to Camron in Iran and find out what the Iranians do next if the US goes through with the designation. Then we're headed into Libya where the fighting between the UN-backed government and a rebel military lead by General Khalifa Haftar has become increasingly deadly. We'll speak to our voice in the region and get the real story of a growing problem that isn't in the US' headlines. Finally, on Change Is Hard, we'll be presenting a montage of clips from President Obama's Q&A in Europe. We'll hear from a journalist who gushes over the former Commander In Chief and take a moment to learn about the future of child empowerment.

Six years ago this week the brutal repression of a protest in Libya's second city of Benghazi inspired a revolution that led to the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Today the country is preyed on by more than 1500 militias. Different governments rule in the west around Tripoli and in the east from Tobruk. Now some international powers are considering abandoning the ineffectual UN-led attempts to find political solutions and instead are turning once again to a Libyan military leader to seize control. General Khalifa Haftar commander of a powerful militia, the Libyan National Army, is seen by his supporters as the only man to restore stability to the country. But his critics argue that the last thing Libya needs is a return to the rule of a strongman. (Photo: General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army. Credit: Getty Images)