LibyaPolitics

US mulls deploying forces in Tunisia to limit Russian activities in Libya

The US military revealed on Friday that the United States is considering using one of its troops’ units to help prevail security in Tunisia, amid concerns about Russian activities in Libya.

Russia’s continued fueling of the Libyan conflict is causing increasing concern to regional security in North Africa, so the US Africa Command has expressed dismay at the situation in Libya.

Concerns came after information revealed the Russian military’s delivery of 14 MiG-29 and Sukhoi 24 aircraft to the National Army’s Al-Jafra air base, which was denied by the National Army and a member of the Russian parliament.

In turn, the Tunisian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the United States is a key partner in efforts to build the capacity of the Tunisian army.

The Deputy Director of the Intelligence Department of the US Africa Command, Brigadier General Gregory Hadfield revealed detailed information about the Russian planes that had been delivered to the National Army for a small group of journalists about the plane’s route, confirming that they had launched from Russia and passed through Iran and Syria before arriving in Libya, noting that the National Army didn’t use the warplanes yet.

The US General warned that Moscow may not need an explicit victory for Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar to promote Russian interests, noting that the matter is centered on establishing Russian strongholds in the region that would provide it with a permanent location in Libya to deploy long-range missile systems, which will change the rules of the game for Europe, NATO and many Western countries.

In the meantime, the Commander of AFRICOM, General Stephen Townsend, said that Moscow was seeking to turn the scales of the conflict in its favor in Libya as it did in Syria, accusing it of destabilizing Libya to gain a stronghold in North Africa, just as it did in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, adding that Moscow cannot deny its involvement now after it has been revealed that Russian pilots operate fourth-generation jet fighters in Libya.

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