By John Lee.
A report from Reuters says that allies of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar have welcomed Donald Trump's victory in the American election, "betting on more support for their anti-Islamist stance."
It suggests that the result could boost pro-Haftar factions with strong ties to Egypt and increasingly to Russia -- which printed banknotes for Tobruk's breakaway Central Bank -- while diluting Western support for the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.
Tarek al-Jaroushi, a member of the House of Representatives (HoR) in Tobruk, whose father commands Haftar's air force, said:
"I strongly support Trump because of his and the Republicans' resolute and decisive attitudes ... The Republican Party, which understands the truth about Daesh (Islamic State) and the positions and the victories of the Libyan army, will support us."
Meanwhile, a statement from the HoR to Trump said:
"We hope for your support … and we call for the lifting of the arms embargo on the Libyan army which is waging a war against terrorism."
(Source: Reuters)
