Shabiha, mercenaries and oil .. Elements that bring together Haftar and Assad

Mahmoud Mohamed - Tripoli

Mutual coordination between the Syrian regime and the government loyal to retired Major General Khalifa Hifter has re-opened questions about the nature of the relationship between the two parties, which receive Russian and regional support.

Syrian and Libyan media reported that a Libyan delegation visiting Damascus, headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the government loyal to Haftar, agreed with the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem to reopen the offices of diplomatic missions and coordinate positions between the two parties, in addition to facing what they called the Turkish aggression against Libya and Syria.

The Government of National Accord had earlier accused the Haftar Military Investment Commission of establishing suspicious commercial relations and granting Syrians false visas to enter Libya in coordination with the Syrian regime.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed to the Government of Al-Wefaq that the Syrian regime obtained aviation fuel from Haftar, in exchange for the latter's obtaining funds and weapons, in violation of the international ban on fuel imposed on the Syrian regime since late 2013.

Libyan analysts and politicians believe that Haftar's allies directed him to work to break the isolation of Damascus by operating direct flights on board the "Wings of the Levant" company, between Damascus and Syria's Beni airports in Benghazi, eastern Libya, to satisfy Moscow and push it to military intervention in Libya.

"Sham Wings" Aviation Company was established in 2007, and it is owned by the businessman close to the Syrian regime, Muhammad Shammout. And was subjected to US sanctions in 2016, because of its activity in the transfer of mercenaries to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Khalifa Haftar.

Motivated
"The direct airlift between the Damascus and Benina airports is to transport Russian mercenaries and Syrian Shabiha to support Haftar militarily in his war against Tripoli, in exchange for other concessions," said the head of the Security Committee of the Supreme Council of State, Belkacem Dabars.

"The Syrian regime represented in Bashar al-Assad is concerned with the failure of the February 17 revolution, and the transfer of the regime in Libya to a bloody dictatorial ruler like the Assad regime," he added. "The common denominator between Haftar and the Assad regime is the Russian supporter, and the use of mercenaries in exchange for money, the Assad and Haftar from one school." It depends death, destruction and judgment by force of arms.

Political analyst Salah al-Bakush affirms that the inauguration of a diplomatic relationship between Haftar and Bashar al-Assad is an attempt by both parties to tighten control of the land by force, to give legitimacy to their position.

Al-Bakoush added, "The rapprochement between Haftar and the Syrian regime will not change anything, because the position of the two men is hollow, and depends entirely on regional and international powers and mercenaries from all sides, and neither of them has anything to offer the other."

In his statement to Al-Jazeera Net, Bakush considers that part of the support that Haftar receives from Moscow is to normalize the relationship again in the Arab world with the regime of Bashar Al-Assad, as Russia seeks seriously to persuade other countries to accept the Syrian regime and coordinate with it.

As for the researcher in the issues of the Arab and Islamic world, Salah Qadri says, "The rapprochement is basically between Haftar's allies and the allies of the Syrian regime, mediated by Moscow, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and the nature of the relationship between Haftar and the Syrian regime is based on a strategic issue, which is that the strength of the reconciliation government is currently derived from the hostile Turkish position. The Assad regime and Haftar together.

Al-Qadri considers that the dumping of Turkey in northern Syria is a kind of exclusion from the support of the National Accord government in its war on Haftar, indicating that when the Turkish regime is preoccupied with its geographical borders, it is difficult to prevail in a country that is relatively far from it, namely Libya, given that the priority is to protect the borders and repel Near danger.

He added, "The Russians and Iranians have the military power, but they are experiencing major financial crises. The Syrian regime has a problem in saving energy and money, and therefore benefits from the support of Haftar and his Emirati and Saudi allies in paying generously, in addition to the interest of Haftar to occupy Turkey in Syria."

"The reports talk about a financial agreement between the Syrian and Russian regime on the one hand, and between the Saudis and the Emiratis on the other hand, to finance the Russian campaign in Syria against the Turks, and not far from what is happening in Libya," Qadri said.

He concludes, "The map of the balance of power has turned strategically in the Middle East and Mediterranean region, after the signing of the Turkish-Libyan Economic Security Agreement, which leads to new counter-strategic alliances."