By Tarek Megerisi, for War on the Rocks. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Libya Business News.
Earlier this year, the armed coalition led by eastern-Libyan-based commander Khalifa Haftar took most of his country’s southwest, an oil-rich desert expanse three times as large as Syria called the Fezzan.
This military operation has fueled speculation as to whether the aging general and former dissident is now considering a similar offensive into Tripoli, the capital on the Mediterranean coast. Haftar has not recognized the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli.
Its prime minister Fayez al-Serraj and his cabinet coexist with a set of powerful militias there, but do not control them.