The Libyan military chief of staff affiliated to the House of Representatives (HoR), General Abdul-Razek Al-Nadhouri, said that the head of the eastern Libyan National Oil Corporation would be in Cairo on Saturday.
During his visit to Cairo, Al-Nadhouri told the Egyptian newspaper “Al-Youm 7”, who interviewed him, which LIBYAPROSPECT is translating for its readers, that the Libyan oil will be under Egypt’s control. He added that there would be daily shipments of Libyan oil to Egypt and “we will listen to the Egyptians and will send them the oil implements.”
Al-Nadhouri said that this might be seen as a subordination and surrender but “if this how our enemies think, so we are proud of surrendering ourselves to Egypt.”
He also expressed that “if the world says that Egypt is the mother of the world, we say that “Egypt is our mother” because she supported us when no one supported us.
Answering a question about the reason for his visit to Egypt, Al-Nadhouri said that the reason is to coordinate between the Libyan and Egyptian Armies to fight terrorism in Benghazi and Sirte, and also to fight other groups.
Talking about what the Libyan army needs from the Egyptian side, Al-Nadhouri said that “we need many things from Egypt who didn’t abandon us previously.” He also stated that the “Libyan army was destroyed and needs a reestablishment. We consider ourselves part of the Egyptian army, and what is going on in Libya seeks to collapse Egypt.”
Then he explained that by saying “the world now is fighting Egypt, all crises were fabricated, such as US Dollar crisis and subversion with some countries. There are attempts to subject Cairo, and what happens in Libya aims to control the Libyan wealth to fight Egypt.”
Then the newspaper asked him: Do you think that that conspiracy could succeed one day?
“No, it won’t succeed, because the millions of Egyptian people who demonstrated on 30 June and the people who are fighting in Libya will not let that happen. I can say that all of our capabilities are under Egypt’s control, starting with the oil,” he answered.
About the Egyptian president, Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi, Al-Nadhouri said that the “President Al-Sisi is the greatest Arab hero now. We will not forget him saying (whoever wants his life will never want his country), which means that you have to sacrifice for your country.”
The following is the arrest of the dialogue, as translated by LIBYAPROSPECT from Al-Youm 7 Website:
Al-Youm 7: Are there any joint military training exercises between Libyan and Egyptian Armies for more qualifications?
Al-Nadhouri: “We are now in a war, and I think this time is not okay for that, maybe after two years.”
Al-Youm 7: What is your duty in securing the Libyan borders with Egypt while you are so busy in fighting terrorism?
Al-Nadhouri: This role is up to Egypt because of our current circumstances.
Al-Youm 7: What percentage of the space do you control in Libya?
Al-Nadhouri: %80.
Al-Youm 7: When can we say that all Libya is under the army’s control?
Al-Nadhouri: You can start wars, but you don’t know when to finish them. We are ready, but we need more power for that. We are now controlling the south, and we have some control on the west. We need less than two days to control Tripoli, the same as what happened in the petroleum region.
Al-Youm 7: How about Benghazi?
Al-Nadhouri: Benghazi is almost liberated, and there are only a few terrorist groups who we are about defeat. To control all Benghazi, we need longer time because of the minefields that threaten our soldiers. We can’t let the citizens move freely in the city. Otherwise, there would be disasters. But I can say that Benghazi would be liberated by the beginning of the next year.
Al-Youm 7: Are the army forces ready to enter Tripoli?
Al-Nadhouri: Of course, after we liberate Sirte.
Al-Youm 7: How about “Daesh”?
Al-Nadhouri: They are now trapped between Derna, Sirte, and Tripoli, we will deal with them.
Al-Youm 7: Most of the Western countries criticized you after you liberated the crescent oil region, what does that mean to you?
Al-Nadhouri: It does mean nothing to us, we decided our fate. That is only empty media balloons to press on the military leadership in Libya to become under the mercy of the dialogue surrender to the conditions of Muslim Brotherhood, but we will not acquiesce.
Al-Youm 7: Will this affect your military situation?
Al-Nadhouri: No, it will be in our favor, it would strengthen the traditional unity in Libya.
Al-Youm 7: Some say that controlling the crescent oil region aims to deprive the western Libya of oil.
Al-Nadhouri: Of course no, we fight for the Libyan people, we freed some Libyan wealth from the terrorist groups. Libyan people did not get the oil, but now they are getting it easily.
Al-Youm 7: In your opinion, what is the real reason that makes the world stands against arming you?
Al-Nadhouri: Britain is leading the issue to protect Muslim Brotherhood. Also, America is by Britain and some other officials in Qatar and Turkey.
Al-Youm 7: This way of language might exacerbate the western attitude against arming you.
Al-Nadhouri: We don’t care, we only do whatever comes to our minds, I am an Upper Egyptian.
Al-Youm 7: How are you building up your army now?
Al-Nadhouri: We buy weapons from the market, we haven’t received any piece of weapons from any country, we only buy ammunitions from some countries.
Al-Youm 7: Is it true that Libya asked Russia for weapons?
Al-Nadhouri: Yes, we requested supplying the army of what needed in the fields.
Al-Youm 7: What was the Russian attitude?
Al-Nadhouri: It was positive, they agreed.
Al-Youm 7: Have you estimated the army losses since the start of the revolution?
Al-Nadhouri: We lost 90% of army powers. Our navy fleet was destroyed entirely. The ground troops’ weapons were robbed. We lost around 12 million pieces of weapons. All of that was done by what so-called revolutionaries, who we discovered they are criminals.
Al-Youm 7: If the militias in the western Libya ask for joining the Libyan Army, what would be your answer?
Al-Nadhouri: We would accept them only as Libyan citizens, no one of them would be allowed to carry weapons, we will not accept them as a battalion under one person.
Al-Youm 7: How do you see the battle that is led by the Government of National Accord in the western Libya?
Al-Nadhouri: What battle and what government? There is nothing named Government of National Accord. We do not recognize them; we will not deal with them as long as they are under the current personalities.
Al-Youm 7: Is it true that General Haftar is nominated to become the Defense Minister in the Government of National Accord?
Al-Nadhouri: No, we will not accept that.
Al-Youm 7: Do you want him to become the president of Libya?
Al-Nadhouri: Now we are not thinking about that, but why not?
Al-Youm 7: Do you think that he is qualified to lead Libya?
Al-Nadhouri: Absolutely, who achieves all of these victories deserves to become the president of Libya.
Al-Youm 7: Why General Haftar refused to meet the UN envoy to Libya, Martin Kobler?
Al-Nadhouri: Because he is biased to a particular group. He also failed in dealing with the situation in Libya. It is not worth to waste more time with him because we are building up the army and we have military operations.
Al-Youm 7: You are criticized, widely, because you appointed military officers as heads of municipalities, how do you comment on that?
Al-Nadhouri: Firstly, what we did was a popular demand to implement the law strictly. Libya witnessed chaos with no law between 2011 and 2014. We didn’t do that for a military coup as they say.
Al-Youm 7: You talked earlier, briefly, about Qatar and Turkey, can you tell us more about their attitudes towards Libya?
Al-Nadhouri: They support terrorist groups and Muslim Brotherhood. They are against Libyans’ freedom.
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