The Story the White House won’t discuss: Fighting breaking out between rival Libyan Rebel Militias

By John Galt
November 13, 2011 – 09:30 ET (UPDATED 15:40 ET Nov. 13)

As the Arab Spring devolved into the Islamist Autumn, warnings were issued on these pages and at many other blogs and news sources about the problems with the so-called rebellions within Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia along with ongoing conflicts throughout the MENA region. Now the White House is starting to worry because the success of the revolution in Libya is showing signs of fraying as yesterday two members of rebel militias were killed in fighting near a military base outside of Tripoli. This is apparently not an isolated incident per this story:

Clashes between Libyan militias kill 2

The idea that these fighters whom our administration and State Department wish to make appear as the second coming of George Washington and the American Revolution is being systemically dissembled by what many of us knew would be the inevitable infighting between rival tribal groups. This infighting has now reached the level of almost open warfare and unless the ideas of the West are somehow magically imposed on these groups to reverse over one thousand years of militant Islamist inbreeding, a full blown civil war will erupt once again throughout the nation.

On Saturday morning, a similar story from Reuters (Fighters clash again near Tripoli, two dead) indicates that the fighting since Friday appears to be accelerating per this excerpt:

Several anti-Gaddafi fighters from the port city of Zawiyah said at least two of their comrades were killed by fire from an armed tribal group which was in control of an area at Imaya, between Zawiyah and the capital. At least two had been killed on Friday after tension flared between the two groups.

As gunfire continued nearby, Nidal al-Akrout, a fighter from Zawiyah loyal to the Libyan interim government, told Reuters at the scene that two men from his brigade had been killed.

Issam al-Tarhouni, another fighter from Zawiyah, said by telephone that he had seen at least three people dead.

Care to wager how much prominence this story will receive in the broadcast mainstream and cable news media? Zero would be my guess, but I’ll watch the wires and Middle Easter press to see how this begins to shake out as the prospects of a civil war based on Islamist groups and tribal rivalries appears to be the beginning of the Arab Winter of War.

15:40 ET Nov 13, 2011-UPDATE:

From a new Reuters article:

Libyans say clashes resolved, but firing goes on

Excerpted:

Despite continued gunfire and explosions near Tripoli on Sunday, Libyan officials and fighters said a bloody local dispute that has strained nerves in the city for three days was being resolved.

Compared to exchanges of rockets and machinegun fire on Saturday, in which medics said at least seven fighters were killed, clashes were limited — a result, officials said, of a deal among leaders from the capital and rival communities from the town of Zawiyah and clan leaders of the Wershifanna tribe.

The most interesting quote is the last couple of sentences from the article:

By several accounts, trouble flared on Thursday when men from the Wershifanna established a checkpoint on the main highway, challenging the presence there of fighters from Zawiyah. Further clashes ensued, residents said, when both sides tried to secure control of the Imaya military base.

One man from the Wershifanna, speaking to Reuters at Imaya, said: “The Zawiyans want the base. The Wershifanna want the base … They think there is still no government.”

And that’s how wars often start in that region…..

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