Did the US give green light to Haftar’s offensive on Tripoli?

Newly leaked documents show that the White House has blessed Haftar’s attack on Tripoli, which has so far paved the way for a greater Russian leverage over the renegade general.

“Washington’s inconsistent position on Libya — officially supporting the peace process even as the White House has signaled that President Trump favors Mr. Hafter — has played a major role in prolonging the chaos,” wrote the New York Times, adding that the absence of a strong American policy “has opened the door to interference from competing American partners, including Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.”

The reports cited by the New York Times show that Trump’s former senior security advisor John Bolton blessed Haftar’s attack on Tripoli leading to aggravating a protracted conflict while emboldening Russians.

Last year, after the attack was launched Trump held a phone conversation with Haftar and discussed “a shared vision for Libya’s transition to a stable, democratic political system,” according to a statement of the US department of state.

The New York Times pointed at facets of Russian influence in Libya including the control of pro-Haftar social media.

It “has acquired an ownership stake in a pro-Qaddafi Libyan satellite network and advised a pro-Hafter network as well,” the daily said.

Members of the Congress have begun asking how the White House appears to have ended up backing the same side as Moscow, the paper said.