EU Needs A Joint Command Force to Confront Russia In Libya

I recall a handful of times before French President Macron declared the need for a unified joint command for European forces that the EU President shared a similar sentiment in years past. Obviously the cost of this would require European states to slash some of their socialist policies, because how else could they afford it? In any case, I often wondered why NATO was not working out for these guys. Recently however, as I track Russia's moves in Libya, something clicked in my head. The overthrow of Libya was always a European initiative, primarily driven by the interests of France, the UK and Italy. However, because they just don't have the balls or the money, it was easy to convince crazy Hillary and push over Obama to foot the majority of the bill and allow us to take most of the blame.

I just came to the realization that the public calls for this joint command is because our current POTUS is making valid points, if they want to venture into foreign affairs for their own interests, they will have to start paying more. We are getting tired of footing the bill. In the meantime, Russia's inroads into Libya are now posing a serious risk to those European states efforts of getting control of those resources that they so desperately sought as the reason for the overthrow of the previous government. Considering Russia's success in Syria, this is posing some serious concern to the EU states in question.

Here is a copy of the latest Russian moves into Libya which clicked all of this together for me.
originally posted by: worldstarcountry
Found more into this. General Khalifa Haftar was meeting with the Russian Defense Minister in Moscow, and guess who was there? The owner of the PMC Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin. This is the same Wagner Group who lost about 200 mercenaries in February 2018 by a USA counter attack after leading a daring attack across the Euphrates river with a force of about 500 combined Syrian, Iranian and Russian assets to attack SDF positions. Russia is keen on keeping Libya within their own hegemony. Seeing as Libya was really Europe's (Mostly France, Britain and Italy) gambit that required the begging of US assistance, which Mrs. Clinton so gleefully obliged, lets see if Macron is ready to commit his fairy-tale European Army to confront Russia in Libya.

Press service of the Libyan National Army accidentally leaked footage that show Wagner PMC chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at meeting between Marshal Khalifa Haftar and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

مكتب الاعلام - القيادة العامة للقوات المسلحة الليبية
Published on Nov 7, 2018
مشاهد من لحظة وصول القائد العام للقوات المسلحة العربية الليبية المشير خليفة حفتر إلى مقر وزارة الدفاع الروسية في العاصة موسكو ولقائه بوزير الدفاع سيرغي شويغو

Information Office - General Command of the Libyan Armed Forces
Published on Nov 7, 2018
Scenes from the moment of the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Armed Forces Marshal Khalifa Hafter to the headquarters of the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow and his meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shweigo

Lenta.ru translated for your convenience with Google services
The press service of the Libyan National Army on November 7 published a video of the arrival of its commander-in-chief, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, for talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu . Novaya Gazeta also drew attention to the video.

The video shows how the delegation headed by Haftar arrives for negotiations. Marshal is met by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov . They enter the building and then pass into the hall past the restaurateur Eugene Prigogine , who is the alleged owner of the so-called private military company (PMC) Wagner, who is standing near the door.

As Interfax reported with reference to the Russian Ministry of Defense, in the course of the negotiations issues of combating international terrorism and solving the crisis in Libya were discussed. It was also reported about the possibility of Haftar meeting with President Vladimir Putin , but the schedule of the head of state did not allow it, said the press secretary of the Russian leader, Dmitry Peskov .

In October, RBC , citing sources in the Ministry of Defense, reported on the transfer of a Russian military contingent to Libya. It was noted that the presence of Moscow is associated with interests in the oil and gas sector; The Sun, referring to a source in the British government, wrote that Russia is thus trying to influence the West.

Yevgeny Prigogine - Russian restaurateur, owner of the catering business. In the institutions of the businessman several times held events with the participation of Vladimir Putin. The president himself said that he knew Prigogine, but he was not in the circle of his friends.

In 2016, Prigogine came under US sanctions in connection with the conflict in the south-east of Ukraine. In addition, Washington has imposed restrictions on the Internet Research Agency, which is believed to be related to Prigogine’s structures, due to interference with the American elections. In addition, the businessman associated with the PMCs Wagner, participating, according to some, in the Syrian campaign.

It is clear that The European leadership is seeking the formation of an EU joint command force in an effort to fight their own battles for which the USA is kind of getting tired of financing. We fight and finance Europe and Israel's battles across Africa and the Middle East. I suppose it is high time we allow them to fund and man it themselves.

Interesting OP. Was talking to some aircrew and peeps are getting sick of Germany. Poland is willing to pay us instead of us paying Germany.

I remember Croatia....EU did minimum, what they gonna do in a real fight? Fold.

It would be a huge mistake and it seems western powers and leaders, whom are following the elitists and their destructive plans haven't learned anything from the past.

Confronting Russia in Libya would be a failure as it is in Syria. The last time i checked it was the western countries fault for creating the current mess that is now in Libya.

Just what kind of good would Confronting Russia in Libya do any good?

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Interesting OP. I think you may have erred in one part of your analysis; I'd seriously doubt the Europeans were behind the overthrow of Qaddafi. Everything I'd read during that mess pointed directly to the US being behind the Arab Spring "uprising". Truth be told, the Europeans were almost entirely ambivalent to Qaddafi. He served several useful purposes including serving at least as a partial block to the migrant hordes out of North and Northwestern Africa.

The Europeans should, by all means necessary, secure Libya for themselves. As a viable "Nation State", Libya isn't! I know, I lived there back in the 1970's. Most all of the educated upper crust left soon after Qaddafi kicked the Italians out and seized their properties. By all rights, the Italians should simply reclaim Libya as one of their colonies. All that's left in Libya are nomadic herdsmen, Bedouin, Berber, and a large group of Egyptian/Arab/ISSIS/Al Queda opportunists bent on securing (stealing) the oil wealth. Nature abhors a vacuum; the Europeans, at least the French and Italians should step in and take it over. I would add that the population of Libya is now said to be 6.2 million of which probably only half are true "Libyan".

France didn't help with Iraq and the US called them for it (&their people) the worst things.
Sure France supporting the overthrowing of Qaddafi in Libya was really stupid of them.
I remember in my country (Holland) the propaganda on TV about how bad Qaddafi was for his people with live interviews and such. After the support of getting rid of Qaddafi the country is literally in ruins. You sure won't see that on national TV how it is there after and before!
Look how those country's are today/after getting rid of Qaddafi, Saddam, and with the trying of getting rid of Assad and so on, you didn't had terrorist before those wars, people blowing them self up and so fort.
Million(s) (nobody knows exactly how many) died, let alone wounded and displaced (total horror). Even still no remorse whatsoever, still pouncing basically on the chest and looking proud even! There isn't even a word for naming such things, just really really really sad stuff.

Look how many fleeing form those CREATED! hell holes came/come too Europe after!! And US people calling Europe for it with; ''How it can be that they allow so many people coming from those destroyed country's!??''. Well for one those country's are close to Europe! far away from the US! Yet the people cry big tears in the US when some people come from those places, while it's really NOTHING in numbers compared with how many come too Europe (it's much much closer and of course the EU is way more tolerant (especially after WW2).
Europe leaders are stupid enough but waking up that the US is not to be followed for EU interests at all.
Sanctions against Iran cost the EU lots (& the reason for it is not there), also against Russia (hundreds of billions). Don't cost the US anything much. The US just likes control and selling more weapons but saying we are here for protection!! The US defense is not about peace or security at all!

Trump saying we pay the most but the US is always lacking behind in payments at the UN and EU even pays more then the US combined (with a big margin lol).
Note I rather see Nato and the UN just be gone really. They are not tools for the better or peace.

Really your title should be; The EU Needs A Joint Command Force to Confront the USA!

Take in note the EU had much money (EU banks mostly) in Fake US bank products (rated AAA) which caused lots of economical pain in the EU. Just underscoring the fact that the EU is really stupid doing business with the US. They should come closer with their ties with Russia and China, the US is fake money and only cost allot of pain/suffering. Sure it's hard waking up from this reality and doing things differently after all those years, but it's better for the EU for sure.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

EU should take control of Libyan resources?????? Absolutely f-ing disgusting.

EU should confront Russia in Libya and America should step back and offer no (financial) assistance?

Are you suggesting America is now prepared to pass on world reserve currency status?

Is the petrodollar no more?

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Actually it was not begging US assistance but more of a "We helped you get Iraq and your company's took all the oil so now it's your turn to help us Take Libya and our company's can get that oil".
A case of I rubbed your back now your turn to scratch mine.
Libya was a disaster though, they removed a tyrant but he was actually protecting southern Europe from a migration crisis and his removal was the worst mistake since the Iraq War - possibly even worse.
It also turn's out that despite being a Tyrant he was perhaps the best leader they had ever had whom kept those tribes from killing one another (as surprisingly progressive among the Arabic world), built huge underground water system's to irrigate parts of his nation and did quite a few other good thing's for his people - even if he started to look like a hollywood starlet gone wrong with all of that plastic surgery in his later life.
(VERY BAD side of the man, supporting and training terrorists - but not the current one's).

As for Macron, that is very much a move toward a monolithic EU superstate which would eventually phase out the old national government's as it moved toward a complete federalization of EU members into a single super country.
A single country, a Single tax system, a single military and a single foreign policy as well as a single immigration policy.

Essentially it is a demolition NOT an expansion of the French Republic in favor of a very much Germanocentric EU Federation.

With Italy now rebelling - if only in a slight way - against Brussels's spending restriction's and despite May's (British prime minister) disgraceful handling of the Brexit Negotiations with a few compromised too far for both Pro and Anti EU electorate within the UK the whole EU plot does look set to unravel or at least to have to adapt to a growing anger within EU citizens' against what they see as Brussels tyranny and corruption.

Also the ulterior motive for Afghanistan was a once planned pipeline that was to take oil from the former soviet republic's were western oil company's had moved in and to pipe it to eastern China which would have been massively lucrative, the problem was that the planned pipeline had to go through of all places Helmand province.

Italy would never go for this. And right now Italy is Public Enemy #1 of the EU, not Russia.

a reply to: teapot
I cannot tell if you are feigning naivety, or actually naive of how the real world works. I guess if your under thirty it could be sincere.

I said the reason EU wants their own joint command is to confront Russia in Libya for the resources they intended to take control of. I guess you can pretend to be appalled as if this is something new, or even atypical of Europe to do. But everyone does it. Russia is doing it right now, which is kind of the whole point.

Whos side are you rooting for I guess is my reply?

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Taking sides? Sorry, typical bi-partisan bollocks that ignores any attempt to review any evidence in any even remotely critically conscious way. Your OP is nothing more than yet another American call for war in Europe. An EU super-army would provide a lucrative market for American guns and bombs? Then after refilling your coffers, you'll ride in all superhero like and save the day? Trouble is, economic war aka sanctions against both Russia and Iran, is hitting Europe quite hard. Not enough lucre to fund American arms industry. Will have to print money and create more debt. Who wins, in your tiny world view?

And, if Libya want Russia to help them rebuild their country, what is that to America, EU or anyone else?

a reply to: teapot
It sounds like you are leaning towards Russian sympathy. I am not so certain the leadership of Europe outside of Germany agrees with that stance. But you are, for now, free to have that opinion.

In a growing global conflict that continually drags in more belligerents, there is no room to be neutral. It did not work out in WW2, and it will not work out in the ongoing third world war.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

There you go again! Attaching your bias to anyone that does not support the idea that your world view must be on the side of your self perceived enemies.

There are those of us that are anti war and in the event of a WW3, I shall still be anti war and refuse to be brow beaten into taking sides.

I know you do not get this and I bet you would rather shoot someone that disagrees with you (even if they also disagree with the other side) than accept the validity of any views that are not in line with your own thinking.

a reply to: teapot
Well if you stand in the way of victory, yes I would shoot you and anyone else doing so. You are welcome to protest war, it is your right. But your opinions are of no consequence because it will keep on raging as the leadership of either side continue to fight for the resources we all take for granted.

Most people do not even understand ww3 has been on going for a decade now, yourself included. We as civilians are doing g exactly the same as in previous world wars, contiuing to live our lives as normal because the battlefield is somewhere else.

Instead of north Africa and Europe, it's North Africa and the middle East this time.