Hifter campaign reveals power of Libyan Islamist militias

Khalifa Hifter has done it again, but this time, perhaps a little bit more wisely. Last February, the same man appeared on TV to announce what amounted to a coup d’état, declaring the General National Conference annulled, suspending the government and calling for new elections. But nothing actually happened, and the general disappeared into thin air. He suddenly reappeared on May 16 to launch what he called Operation Dignity to rid Libya of Islamist militias suspected of being behind many assassinations, particularly in Benghazi.

Hifter seems to have learned a lesson from his last attempt, but still misses the point, lacks political vision and is hardly aware of what chaotic Libya needs. When he intelligently declared his "war on terrorism," a catchy slogan domestically and abroad (particularly in Benghazi, where murder is a daily occurrence), he never anticipated the kind of support he would command inside the divided country.

This seems to have caught him off-guard as he failed to offer Libyans any real workable political alternative, like President-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in neighboring Egypt. He also seems to lack effective on-the-ground coordination with his supporters in western Libya, particularly in Tripoli, where he enjoys disorganized support from the strong Zintan militias and wider public applause. Many Libyans are supportive of his objectives, but not necessarily of the man himself, another strong indicator of Libyans' desperation and disappointment.

Operation Dignity attracted many Libyan military units, including some elements of the Benina-based air force, just outside Benghazi. On June 1, helicopters and fighter jets bombed two Islamist camps belonging to the notorious Ansar al-Sharia and the February 17 Revolutionaries in Benghazi. More army units in Tripoli, Tobruk and Sebha rallied behind Operation Dignity, but they are still operating separately with little political and media reach.