Commander Khalifa Hafar of the Libyan National Army is committed to a cease-fire, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Thursday after three hours of talks between them.

9 month long civil war comes to an end, Haftar Committed to Libya Ceasefire

The United Nations Libya mission said it was alarmed by reports of &quot;brutal and outrageous summary executions&quot; in the eastern city of Benghazi on Wednesday after pictures emerged appearing to show at least nine people were shot dead at the site of a twin car bombing.

The UN&nbsp;Libya mission, UNSMIL, suggested in a tweet that the gunman was Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a special forces commander wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly carrying out a number of similar killings.

&quot;(The UN) demands the handing over of Mahmoud al-Werfalli immediately to (the ICC) as it documented at least 5 similar cases, in 2017 alone, carried out or ordered by al-Werfalli,&quot; UNSMIL said on its Twitter account.

&quot;Those responsible for committing or ordering summary executions are criminally liable under international law.&quot;

Reuters could not independently confirm the gunman&#39;s identity.

The photos, which were posted on social media and in local media, appear to show executions in front of Benghazi&#39;s Bayaat al-Radwan mosque, where a twin car bombing on Tuesday left at least 35 people dead.

One of the pictures shows a gunman dressed in military camouflage, pointing a weapon at the head of the first of a row of blindfolded men kneeling in blue jumpsuits in front of damaged mosque gates.

Another photo shows all but three of the people slumped forward on the road as the gunman makes his way along the line. It was unclear who the men were.

Al-Werfalli is from an elite unit attached to Khalifa Haftar&#39;s Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls Benghazi and battled Islamists and other opponents in the city until late last year.

After the ICC said it was seeking al-Werfalli&#39;s arrest in August, the LNA announced that it was investigating him and had detained him, though his whereabouts were unclear. The special forces dismissed the ICC warrant.

A spokesman for the LNA could not immediately be reached for comment on the pictures.

The pictures were posted as UN&nbsp;Libya envoy Ghassan Salame visited Benghazi on Wednesday, meeting Haftar at a military compound near the city and expressing condemnation of the car bombing.

Haftar, a divisive figure in Libya, has increasingly been courted by the international community as he has gained power on the ground. He is considered a likely candidate in elections that the U.N. has said it hopes can be organised by the end of 2018.

'Those responsible for committing or ordering summary executions are criminally liable under international law,' UN Libya mission

The United Nations Libya mission said it was alarmed by reports of "brutal and outrageous summary executions" in the eastern city of Benghazi on Wednesday after pictures emerged appearing to show at least nine people were shot dead at the site of a twin car bombing. The UN Libya mission, UNSMIL, suggested in a tweet that the gunman was Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a special forces commander wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly carrying out a number of similar killings. "(The UN) demands the handing over of Mahmoud al-Werfalli immediately to (the ICC) as it documented at least 5 similar cases, in 2017 alone, carried out or ordered by al-Werfalli," UNSMIL said on its Twitter account. "Those responsible for committing or ordering summary executions are criminally liable under international law." Reuters could not independently confirm the gunman's identity. The photos, which were posted on social media and in local media, appear to show executions in front of Benghazi's Bayaat al-Radwan mosque, where a twin car bombing on Tuesday left at least 35 people dead. One of the pictures shows a gunman dressed in military camouflage, pointing a weapon at the head of the first of a row of blindfolded men kneeling in blue jumpsuits in front of damaged mosque gates. Another photo shows all but three of the people slumped forward on the road as the gunman makes his way along the line. It was unclear who the men were. Al-Werfalli is from an elite unit attached to Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), which controls Benghazi and battled Islamists and other opponents in the city until late last year. After the ICC said it was seeking al-Werfalli's arrest in August, the LNA announced that it was investigating him and had detained him, though his whereabouts were unclear. The special forces dismissed the ICC warrant. A spokesman for the LNA could not immediately be reached for comment on the pictures. The pictures were posted as UN Libya envoy Ghassan Salame visited Benghazi on Wednesday, meeting Haftar at a military compound near the city and expressing condemnation of the car bombing. Haftar, a divisive figure in Libya, has increasingly been courted by the international community as he has gained power on the ground. He is considered a likely candidate in elections that the U.N. has said it hopes can be organised by the end of 2018.

UN alarmed at reports of summary executions in Libya's Benghazi

The death toll following a double car bomb attack in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday night has risen to at least 22, a hospital spokeswoman said.

A further 20 people were injured and the number of fatalities could rise, Fadia al-Barghathi, spokeswoman for the city&#39;s al-Jala hospital, told AFP.

An explosives-rigged vehicle blew up in front of a mosque in the central neighbourhood of Al-Sleimani, a security source said.

A second car exploded 30 minutes later in the same area, causing more casualties among security services and civilians.

Libya has been rocked by chaos since a 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with two rival authorities and multiple militias vying for control of the oil-rich country.

Military strongman Khalifa Haftar in July announced the &quot;total liberation&quot; of Benghazi, three years after his forces launched a military operation to seize the city from jihadists who had made it a stronghold following the revolution.&nbsp;

But clashes and attacks in the city have continued, including against diplomatic facilities and security forces.

Haftar supports a parliament based in the far east of Libya, while a rival United Nations-backed unity government in the western capital Tripoli has struggled to assert its authority nationwide.

An explosives-rigged vehicle blew up in front of a mosque in the central neighbourhood of Al-Sleimani

The death toll following a double car bomb attack in the Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday night has risen to at least 22, a hospital spokeswoman said. A further 20 people were injured and the number of fatalities could rise, Fadia al-Barghathi, spokeswoman for the city's al-Jala hospital, told AFP. An explosives-rigged vehicle blew up in front of a mosque in the central neighbourhood of Al-Sleimani, a security source said. A second car exploded 30 minutes later in the same area, causing more casualties among security services and civilians. Libya has been rocked by chaos since a 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with two rival authorities and multiple militias vying for control of the oil-rich country. Military strongman Khalifa Haftar in July announced the "total liberation" of Benghazi, three years after his forces launched a military operation to seize the city from jihadists who had made it a stronghold following the revolution. But clashes and attacks in the city have continued, including against diplomatic facilities and security forces. Haftar supports a parliament based in the far east of Libya, while a rival United Nations-backed unity government in the western capital Tripoli has struggled to assert its authority nationwide.

Twin car bombs kill at least 22 in Libya's Benghazi

Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control parts of the country, said on Sunday the UN-backed government was obsolete and he would listen to the will of the people, a firm hint he may run in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/muammar-gaddafis-son-saif-al-islam-likely-to-contest-presidential-elections-27171">elections expected next year</a>.&nbsp;

Haftar styles himself as a strongman capable of ending the chaos of armed factions that has gripped oil-producing Libya since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

His comments, made at a military graduation ceremony, recall those of Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when he was testing the ground before becoming a presidential candidate.

Sisi was eventually elected in 2014.&nbsp;Just as Sisi built up wide support after toppling Egypt&#39;s Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, supporters of Haftar speak of a similar situation developing in Libya, with rallies held in some eastern cities calling on him to run.

&quot;We declare clearly and unequivocally our full compliance with the orders of the free Libyan people, which is its own guardian and the master of its land&quot;, Haftar said in a speech.&nbsp;

He spoke in the eastern city of Benghazi, from where his forces managed to expel Islamist militants during a three-year battle.

Haftar also dismissed a series of United Nations-led talks to bridge differences between Libya&#39;s two rival administrations, one linked to him in the east and one backed by the United Nations in the capital Tripoli, which he now declared obsolete.&nbsp;

&quot;Despite all the brilliant slogans during talks between rivals for power from the dialogue of Ghadames (Libya) and ending in Tunisia via Geneva, Skhirat (Morocco) and others, all of were just ink on paper&quot;, he said, listing host cities of UN talks.

The UN has tried to find a solution including Haftar who said his command had been threatened with sanctions should he seek a deal outside the dialogue.&nbsp;

Some 1,000 Haftar supporters rallied in Benghazi, demanding the general take over after a UN deal for a political solution missed what they said was a self-imposed deadline on Sunday.

The UN says no such timeline exists and its mediation will continue.&nbsp;The turnout was smaller than initially expected.&nbsp;

In Tripoli, home to a government opposed by Haftar, an unknown armed faction opened fire in the air to disperse some 150 supporters of the general on the central martyrs square, witnesses said. Nobody was hurt.

Obstacle

The UN launched a new round of talks in September in Tunis between the rival factions to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2018, but they broke off after one month without any deal.&nbsp;

A formidable obstacle to progress was the issue of Haftar&#39;s own rule. He remains popular among some Libyans in the east weary of the chaos but faces opposition from many in western Libya.

In his speech, Haftar said his forces, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), could only be placed under an authority that had been elected by the Libyan people - a further indication that he might take part in the election.&nbsp;

The large North African country has been in turmoil since Gaddafi&#39;s downfall opened up space to Islamist militants and smuggling networks that have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe.

Haftar is just one of many players in Libya, which is controlled by armed groups divided along political, religious, regional and business lines.&nbsp;Aguila Saleh, president of the eastern House of Representatives that backs Haftar, said it was time to start preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections, according to a video posted on social media.

Haftar also dismissed a series of United Nations-led talks to bridge differences between Libya's two rival administrations

Eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control parts of the country, said on Sunday the UN-backed government was obsolete and he would listen to the will of the people, a firm hint he may run in elections expected next year. Haftar styles himself as a strongman capable of ending the chaos of armed factions that has gripped oil-producing Libya since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. His comments, made at a military graduation ceremony, recall those of Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when he was testing the ground before becoming a presidential candidate. Sisi was eventually elected in 2014. Just as Sisi built up wide support after toppling Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, supporters of Haftar speak of a similar situation developing in Libya, with rallies held in some eastern cities calling on him to run. "We declare clearly and unequivocally our full compliance with the orders of the free Libyan people, which is its own guardian and the master of its land", Haftar said in a speech. He spoke in the eastern city of Benghazi, from where his forces managed to expel Islamist militants during a three-year battle. Haftar also dismissed a series of United Nations-led talks to bridge differences between Libya's two rival administrations, one linked to him in the east and one backed by the United Nations in the capital Tripoli, which he now declared obsolete. "Despite all the brilliant slogans during talks between rivals for power from the dialogue of Ghadames (Libya) and ending in Tunisia via Geneva, Skhirat (Morocco) and others, all of were just ink on paper", he said, listing host cities of UN talks. The UN has tried to find a solution including Haftar who said his command had been threatened with sanctions should he seek a deal outside the dialogue. Some 1,000 Haftar supporters rallied in Benghazi, demanding the general take over after a UN deal for a political solution missed what they said was a self-imposed deadline on Sunday. The UN says no such timeline exists and its mediation will continue. The turnout was smaller than initially expected. In Tripoli, home to a government opposed by Haftar, an unknown armed faction opened fire in the air to disperse some 150 supporters of the general on the central martyrs square, witnesses said. Nobody was hurt. Obstacle The UN launched a new round of talks in September in Tunis between the rival factions to prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2018, but they broke off after one month without any deal. A formidable obstacle to progress was the issue of Haftar's own rule. He remains popular among some Libyans in the east weary of the chaos but faces opposition from many in western Libya. In his speech, Haftar said his forces, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), could only be placed under an authority that had been elected by the Libyan people - a further indication that he might take part in the election. The large North African country has been in turmoil since Gaddafi's downfall opened up space to Islamist militants and smuggling networks that have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean to Europe. Haftar is just one of many players in Libya, which is controlled by armed groups divided along political, religious, regional and business lines. Aguila Saleh, president of the eastern House of Representatives that backs Haftar, said it was time to start preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections, according to a video posted on social media.

East Libyan army commander Haftar likely to contest elections

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton&#39;s state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. 
 
In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a &quot;shameful&quot; lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. 
 
The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. 
 
The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton&rsquo;s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. 
 
Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September &nbsp;11, 2012 incident. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign dismissed the committee&#39;s report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a &quot;political exercise.&quot; 
 
Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to &quot;learn the right lessons&quot; from the Benghazi tragedy. 
 
&quot;No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating,&quot; said Clinton. 
 
Trump waited until hours after the report&#39;s release to comment. &quot;Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure,&quot; he said on Twitter. &quot;It just never seems to work the way it&#39;s supposed to with Clinton.&quot; 
 
Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton&#39;s actions as secretary of state were &quot;disqualifying.&quot; 
 
&quot;Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing&quot; to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. 
 
Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report &quot;old news&quot; but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. &quot;A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He&rsquo;ll certainly try,&rdquo; Zelizer said. 
 
Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. &quot;Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton&rsquo;s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place,&quot; he said. 
 
Systematic security lapses&nbsp; 
 
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that &quot;the fighting had subsided&quot; at the US diplomatic compound. 
 
The committee&#39;s report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. 
 
None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. 
 
The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. 
 
Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday&#39;s release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. 
 
According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. 
 
The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. 
 
Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. 
 
Clinton rebuffed charges 
 
Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. 
 
In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. 
 
Clinton&#39;s appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel&#39;s demand to see her official records. 
 
A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing &quot;grossly&quot; insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. 
 
(Reuters)

The killing of an ambassador and three other Americans in a US compound in Benghazi has been used by Republicans to flay Clinton repeatedly

Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused Hillary Clinton's state department of failing to protect four Americans killed in a 2012 attack in Libya in a final report that contained no major new revelations, but rekindled debate on the US presidential campaign trail. In an 800-page report that Democrats derided as a political vendetta, Republicans said Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and her staff, showed a "shameful" lack of response to congressional investigators looking into the attacks on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The report, the culmination of a two-year investigation by a special congressional committee led by Republican representative Trey Gowdy, is likely to be the last official attempt to investigate the attack. Seven other congressional panels have also investigated the attack on the US diplomatic and CIA posts in Benghazi. The latest investigation has been used by Republicans to attack Clinton’s national-security credentials. Opinion polls have shown Americans deeply split along partisan lines over the probe. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has repeatedly charged that Clinton is personally responsible for the deaths of a US ambassador and three other Americans killed by militia groups in the September 11, 2012 incident. Clinton's campaign dismissed the committee's report, saying it had not found anything that had not been discovered by previous congressional probes. White House press secretary Josh Earnest labelled the effort a "political exercise." Clinton, speaking in Denver, said it was crucial to "learn the right lessons" from the Benghazi tragedy. "No one has thought more about or lost more sleep over the lives that we lost - the four Americans - which was devastating," said Clinton. Trump waited until hours after the report's release to comment. "Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure," he said on Twitter. "It just never seems to work the way it's supposed to with Clinton." Republican national committee chairman Reince Priebus said Clinton's actions as secretary of state were "disqualifying." "Hillary Clinton was in charge, knew the risks, and did nothing" to protect personnel on the ground in Libya, he said. Professor Julian Zelizer, a political analyst at Princeton University, called the report "old news" but said that would not stop Trump from trying to exploit the issue going forward. "A story like this, even though it seems familiar, can still serve to mobilise Republicans, and certainly Donald Trump will do that. He’ll certainly try,” Zelizer said. Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, said he doubted the report would influence undecided voters. "Those who are willing to believe that there was wrongdoing on secretary Clinton’s part were unlikely willing to vote for her in the first place," he said. Systematic security lapses At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Gowdy, chairman of the special congressional panel, said there was a disconnect between the violence unfolding in Benghazi and the perception among top Obama administration officials that "the fighting had subsided" at the US diplomatic compound. The committee's report faulted the state department for providing inadequate security for the US compound in Benghazi, state department officials and the CIA for failing to properly evaluate the threat to US personnel on the ground, and the Pentagon for not being in position to aid the Americans under siege. The report did not dispute assertions by the Obama administration that such a mission would have come too late to help the four who were killed. None of those conclusions, however, came as revelations. All had been reached by previous probes. The report also accused the White House of stonewalling the investigation, something aides to Obama have denied. Democrats on the Benghazi committee issued their own report a day before Tuesday's release, accusing Republicans of conducting an overzealous investigation. According to a website maintained by committee Democrats, the investigation cost more than $7.1 million, a figure that excludes money spent on investigations by the seven other congressional committees that investigated the attacks. The Gowdy committee investigation lasted 782 days, longer than congressional probes of Pearl Harbour, the Kennedy assassination, the Iran-Contra scandal and Hurricane Katrina. Since it was established in May 2014, the Gowdy committee has held four public hearings, according to its website, which said that it interviewed 107 witnesses, mostly behind closed doors, including 81 who never appeared before the other committees that investigated the attacks. It reviewed about 75,000 pages of previously unexamined documents. Clinton rebuffed charges Last October, Clinton, already a Democratic presidential candidate, calmly deflected harsh Republican criticism of her handling of the attack during a testy 11-hour hearing before the Gowdy committee. In testimony that stretched deep into the night, Clinton rejected Republican accusations that she ignored requests for security upgrades in Libya and misinformed the public about the cause of the attack. Clinton's appearance before the panel followed months of controversy about her use of a private home email server for her state department work, a disclosure that emerged in part because of the panel's demand to see her official records. A 2012 report by a government accountability review board faulted state department officials for providing "grossly" insufficient security in Benghazi, despite upgrade requests from ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others in Libya. (Reuters)

Clinton's culpability over Benghazi attack debate reignites after panel's report

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