Libyan leader: Qatar, Turkey and Sudan stoking conflict

CAIRO: Ahmed Gaddaf Al-Dam, political leader of the Libyan National Struggle Front (LNSF) and cousin of the late Muammar Qaddafi, accused Qatar, Turkey and Sudan of working to fuel the conflict in his country.
They are doing so “for the service of Israel, the fragmentation of Libya and the division of its territories, the forfeiture of its people and resources, and the installation of a puppet government,” he said in a statement.
Hundreds of Daesh militants have entered Libya via Tunisia from Syria and Iraq, he said, accusing European countries of overlooking this.
“Libya has been subjected to a major conspiracy, and the West does not want to end the conflict in Libya because Western interests conflict with Arab interests,” he added.
A spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA) earlier warned of continued pockets of Daesh and Al-Qaeda in the country, and said intelligence reports confirmed the movement of Daesh terrorists from Syria and Iraq to Libya with the help of foreign countries.
Gaddaf Al-Dam said the LNA “captured a few weeks ago many groups of intruding terrorists in Kafrah” in southeast Libya, and some terrorists entering the country then head to Egypt.
He accused some quarters in Qatar and Libya of conspiring to kill him, warning them that they are “messing with the lion’s tail.”
Libyans are helpless due to the lack of a recognized political administration that can protect them, Gaddaf Al-Dam said.
“I feel pain every day and cry every morning because of the situation Libya has reached,” he added.
The LNSF was established on Dec. 16, 2015, and includes 10 Libyan political organizations inside and outside the country.
It supports the LNA under the command of Khalifa Haftar to “restore the sovereignty of Libya and purge it from terrorism and terrorists, and restore safety and security to the Libyan people.”
The LNSF says it aims to reach lasting national reconciliation without any foreign interference.
Gaddaf Al-Dam warned all those conspiring against Libya: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”
Meanwhile, the LNA said the operation to clear Benghazi of terrorist pockets is ongoing. The area around the Baladi Hotel has witnessed fighting for about 10 days amid a cautious advance by the LNA due to the presence of land mines.
Gaddaf Al-Dam said he was not surprised by US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital because that was his declared position since the election campaign.