Khalifa Belqasim Haftar
| Khalifa Belqasim Haftar | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |  Libyan Arab Jamahiriya(until 1987)  Libyan Republic (2011-) |
| Service/branch | Army |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Chadian–Libyan conflict (1978–1987) 2011 Libyan civil war *Battle of Ajdabiya *Third Battle of Brega |
Khalifa Belqasim Haftar (sometimes spelled Hifter, Hefter or Huftur) is a senior military officer in Libya. Formerly one of Muammar Gaddafi's army commanders in the Chadian–Libyan conflict, he fell out with the regime when Libya lost the war, and sought exile in the United States. In 2011 he returned to Libya to support the uprising. On March 24, 2011, it was announced that he would be taking command of the rebel army.
Some sources have reported ties with the US Central Intelligence Agency. After falling out with the Gaddafi regime, Haftar set up his own militia financed by the CIA, according to the 2001 book Manipulations africaines, published by Le Monde diplomatique. After entering the United States in the 1990s, Haftar took up residence in Vienna, Virginia, five miles outside of Langley, Virginia.
References
External links
- UNHCR report on Khalifah Haftar citing his previous anti-regime activities and subsequent exile
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalifa_Belqasim_Haftar
