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The International Criminal Court has demanded that Libya hand over former leader Muammar Gaddafis son Saif after his release by an armed militia, but it is the court, not Saif, which should be on trial.

One word tells you all you need to know about the ICC, and thats Isis. These terrorists have perpetuated the most appalling crimes in Libya, not least the ritual execution filmed and uploaded onto its website of Egyptian Coptic Christians on a beachfront two years ago. The result? No indictments from the ICC.

The ICC is a kangaroo court if ever there was one, and its pursuit of Saif smacks of politics. Consider that for years he pushed for reforms in Libya, and consider also that he commanded no military nor police units. Indeed he was not in a position to commit war crimes. And yet The Hague wants him for crimes against humanity.

As to the Saif prosecution, where is the evidence? Leaked e-mails show his role in trying to hold back the fighting in the 2011 revolution.

One of Hillary Clintons e-mails Unclassified US Department of State Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05792027 Date: 01/07/2016 Release in Part B6states:

Sent Sunday, February 27, 2011 10:10am: The moderates, led by Saif al-Islam Qaddafi favour aggressive police anti-riot tactics but are opposed to the use of deadly force. Saif is also calling for negotiations with tribal leaders in the east, including members of the former royal family.

Additionally, consider how the ICC treated Abdullah al Senussi, Gaddafi seniors former intelligence chief, who was also charged by the ICC.

However, the ICC agreed Libya could try him, and raised no objections when that trial degenerated into a free-for-all with militias guarding the courtroom and intimidating witnesses.

That Tripoli trial went from bad to farce when themilitia group Zintan, who to be fair never mistreated Saif, refused to hand him over to Tripoli. So instead, Tripoli court officials arranged for a video link with Zintan so he could be tried. That video link broke down multiple times and in the end Saif and Zintan just refused to take part. No matter; the Tripoli judges sentenced him to death, with no public evidence ever produced.

The ICC pursuit of Saif Gaddafi is a travesty of justice

Detractors argue correctly that the ICC is Africa-focused and ignores Syrians, Iraqis, Sri Lankans, Israelis, British and Americans who are deemed safe.

After all, you dont hear of the ICC considering bringing Tony Blair to justice.

Clearly, the ICC is broken. Outside legal interference by a moribund ICC is negative, and supporters of such a move are exhibiting exceedingly poor judgment.

This is not an academic matter because Saif Gaddafi, newly free and at an undisclosed location in Libya, has a part to play in ending the civil war.

The ICC pursuit of Saif is a travesty of justice. The only reason ICC judges make outrageous rulings is because it is in effect ruling against Africa; because against Africans, you can do anything without fear of a backlash.

The Hague-based bogus ICC is a dishonourable court doing dishonourable things. What a tragedy for international criminal justice.

It has been said that the ICC is a political court; a political court that must be fought politically. The ICC has nothing to do with international criminal justice. It is a kangaroo court covertly receiving direct instructions from powerful Western neocolonial powers that jokingly dont themselves accept the rulings of the ICC.

In a way, the ICC is Europes equivalent of Guantanamo Bay. A court calling itself such in name only. Its judges, prosecutors et al, should resign instead of shamelessly drawing huge salaries and engaging in outrageous, procedural, racist, illegal, unnecessary and meaningless activities, which are politically motivated.

Several newspapers, and Reuters, reported in February 2011 that Saif advocated holding back in fighting with rebels in Libya and of his hopes for a ceasefire.

Saif may well help unify Libya and bring peace to the war-riven country. Heshould be free of meddling by The Hague and Western powers to do so if he so chooses.

The US is not a party to the Rome Statute. Therefore the ICC cannot conduct investigative activities in the US nor have any real jurisdiction over its citizens except under extraordinary circumstances which to date have never occurred.

The seven countries that voted against the treaty were China, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar, the US and Yemen.

Following 60 ratifications, the Rome Statute entered into force on July 1, 2002, when the International Criminal Court was formally established. The UKs position as regards the ICC is selective and ambiguous.

So in conclusion in the name of justice, the ICC must be reformed and restructured, because it is there where the core problem lies.

Richard Galustian is a British political and security advisor based in MENA countries for nearly 40 years.

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The ICC and Libya - Times of Malta

africanews

Libya, Sudan, Somalia hard hit as US top court partially lifts Trump's travel ban africanews Libya, Sudan and Somalia. The other three were Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Till date, Trump had signed two separate orders, but both had been suspended by lower courts forcing the case to be taken to the apex court. The second order called for 90-day ban on ... The Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Trump's Travel Ban And Lets It Mostly Take Effect For NowBustle The Latest: Imam still hopes for Syrian mother-in-law visaNews 12 Long Island Supreme Court travel ban ruling: What it meansUSA TODAY all 1,294 news articles »

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Libya, Sudan, Somalia hard hit as US top court partially lifts Trump's travel ban - africanews

One person was killed and five others wounded in tribal clashes that broke out in the southern Libyan city of Sabha in the first day of Eid Al-Fitr.

Local sources said gunmen from Tabu tribe exchanged fire with Gadadfa tribesmen in the City Center Street in Hai Mahdia district at around 1.00 am on Sunday while people were shopping for Eid, causing panic among the shoppers.

The street was very crowded with Eid shoppers and suddenly the gunfight started and people started to scramble and scream, an eyewitness reported.

Sabha Medical Center said a pregnant woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy were among the wounded in the random shooting that lasted for several hours before it came to an end.

It is still not clear what caused the fighting, but the city has been plagued with tribal clashes over trivial matters. In November 2016, a sparked between Gadadfa and Awlad Suleiman tribesmen that left 12 people dead and 25 otherswounded.

Tuareq, Tabu, Awlad Suleiman, Awlad Sahil, Magharha, and Gadadfa are the main social components in Sabha.

In March, the Italian government a comprehensivereconciliation agreement between Tabu and Awlad Suleiman tribes in the Italian capital of Rome to end tension between the two warring tribes.

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Ramadan ended with tribal clashes in southern Libya - The Libya Observer

Considered one of the most interesting female artists in the Middle East and northern Africa, Takwa Barnosa often overlays topical news photos - such as refugees drowning as they flee Libya -with commentary in calligraphy that invites the viewer to form theirown opinion about what is depicted. In a nationcurrently traumatized by numerous militias, warring clans, two competing governments and an ongoingrefugee crisis, she belongs to a circle of youngcreative Libyanswho are navigating their way throughthe anarchy and are attemptingto establisha new social order.

Deutsche Welle: At age 17, you started an arts foundation in Libya. Libya is a fractured society, often with chaotic conditions in everyday life. How did you manage this? Did you have any support for this endeavor?

Takwa Barnosa: No, actuallywe are not funded. I started this project in my own.In 2013 I wanted to study art and culture management abroad, but was it was hard to get a visa. So I enrolled at Tripoli University, at the Fine Arts Faculty. But what I wanted to learn isn't offered in the education system in Libya yet.

Whatwere looking for then?

I wanted to provide an opportunity to myself first, and then to others, to share art and provide a platform where people can meet, exchange ideas and perhaps create art projects. I started first at my mom's school, teaching a small class and doing my art work there. My friends would join me and paint their own small paintings. It was just a small circle but as it grew, so did my dream. So I convinced my mother to fund a project rather than sending me to study abroad. I found a place suitable for a modern art gallery in Libya, and we officially launched it in November 2016.

And what activities do you engage in there?

Apart from setting up exhibitions, we've established workshops related to painting, to culture, to literature, with film screenings and discussions about the arts in Libya: their history and how to develop the current arts scene. We had special events like Van Gogh's birthday. We also have an art lab where artists and creative people can meet and share ideas. They bring their materials and are free to do whatever they want. Age and artistic background don't matter.

What is the attitude of people in Libya towards art? Is it considered necessary in their lives, or superfluous in a place where people are concerned with getting by day-to-day?

Since we started, I've seen the attitude change. First people thought it was a waste of time, money and potential. Even my parents weren't convinced at first. Which is quite normal: if a seventeen-year-old says she doesn't want to go to school and would rather open an art gallery, it's a bold move. But then my mom agreed because she saw how much I believed in it. And if you believe in something, you achieve it.

Day by day, we launched new activities. We got good feedback even when we targeted youth and children. I can see the art scene in Libya growing. It's a slow growth, but more and more people are actively practicing art. Even people who weren't active in any creative field started to find something there related to their own identities.

Takwa Barnosa (fifth from left) at the Global Media Forum

How can art change a person? Can you give usan example?

Yes. One kid used to come with his school twice a week and would make fun of Van Gogh's artwork. Then the teacher explained it to him: the light effects, the colors employed. A month later, his mother came to us saying, "What have you done to my kid?" He'd stopped drawing everything except for imitating one painting by Van Gogh, aspiring to reach the same level. Later we talked with him, and he said, "I want to do it more professionally than Van Gogh!" For me, that was one of the best moments since we founded the art gallery.

Another example: I have an artist friend who's a bit isolated - actually, artists usually are. They live in their own world, and that can be very useful for creativity. At first she'd come to the art gallery just to have a conversation with me. Then she'd go back to her room to work on her art, never sharing experiences with all these other people and their different backgrounds. But after a while, she'd engage in conversation, gradually leaving her comfort zone. And as time went by, I started to see how her art practice evolved. She started using different colors and discovering new techniques. That was another inspiration to me.

Refugees rescued after leaving Libya: Barnosa's own art addresses displacement and political trauma at home

So you receive no support from the government or any other institution. But do you experience interference? Has anyone from any authority - religious or governmental - said to you: "This is what we want to see, and this is what we prefer not to"?

Not yet. I even come from a religious family, not an artistic one. And when it comes to the authorities, I've never turned to them for funding or anything else, so there has been no connection there.

Read more:
How art paints the way in Libya - Deutsche Welle

While Syria is the disaster of a generation, Libya isnt far behind. Currently, Libya is upending global oil markets through increased oil production for export. This latest occurrence is overturning the OPEC production limit deal that exempts Libya, Nigeria, and Iraq.

While Nigeria and Iraq have their own domestic and geopolitical issues, its Libya and the various factions that should be of grave concern to the world community. Once NATO overthrew the Gaddafi regime without a nation-building plan in place, Libya became an attractive safe haven for ISIS and various other tribal factions warring over Libyas fossil fuel resources, which represent billions a year in potential income.

The various armed factions (government-sponsored, Islamic, and military) are all vying for the opportunity and riches that comes with boosting Libyas crude oil production to one million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of July. Recently, some of these factions signed an agreement with German Wintershall (GW) to get oil fields back online, adding another 160,000 bpd of output which would otherwise have been idle in the chaos following the invasion by Western powers.

Geopolitical forces were in play, but the various factions in question put their differences aside to put this deal in place; the result is that world oil markets are seeing more supply. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) and GW had formerly been locked in negotiations over disputed past payments for oil field services rendered. With these negotiations finally resolved, oil production has surged ahead crashing the OPEC deal, and the internal focus has shifted toward fighting ISIS instead of each other.

Reconciliations between rival factions have caused production to grow from 178,000 to over 902,000 bpd. Since oil accounts for an overwhelming majority of Libyan economic activity, this reconciliation has major geopolitical implications in the MENA region. New oil revenue allows the fledgling government to wage war against extremists, and set up a somewhat functional state in the midst of a troubled region.

Yet nothing is certain in Libya anymore, and the political system continues to be fractured as ever. If oil exports collapse over internal or external struggles, or Libyan militant groups decide to exert their own pressure on oil facilities, tensions will spike, output will drop, and government revenue will dry up. What Libya is then reduced to is an oil-producing state whose terminals, fields, and pipelines are at the frontlines of combating Islamic extremism and stopping the flow of immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia that are overwhelming European policymakers.

Moreover, the Qatar crisis has exacerbated tensions in Libya between the various militias and groups vying for oil and political power. The eastern government in Libya joined with its financial backers in Egypt and the UAE by denouncing Qatars actions, and wanted oil companies operating in Qatar to cease and desist operations immediately.

These factions wanted Qatar Holding to stop doing business with a Swiss commodity trading giant, Glencore. However, Glencore has an oil export contract with the NOC as the only official and legal business allowed to export crude from Libya. Politics and business mixed together earlier this year when the eastern government and NOC chairman praised the Libyan National Army (LNA) in assisting the NOC to restore control over four key oil export terminals in the Libyan oil crescent.

The LNA is affiliated with the government in Benghazi, but given Libyas internal political struggles, the situation on the ground can change quickly with regards to oil production and the fight against ISIS. Political and macroeconomic certainty is ever elusive in Libya since Gaddafis ouster.

In terms of Libya, the allegiances underpinning the Qatar crisis can be broken down into the following: Qatar supports Islamic militias in Misrata and other units loyal to Sadiq al-Ghariani, the Mufti of Qatar, but the UAE and Egypt support General Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the LNA whos aligned with the government based in Tobruk.

Ever since the LNA took over oil terminals and relinquished control to the NOC, production disruptions have been less frequent. The NOC target of one million bpd seems achievable this summer unless ISIS is able to expand operations or another large-scale civil war erupts. With Libyan oil production transforming back to higher, disruptive levels, the energy industry could be in for lower prices for the remainder of this year and next. As this Libyan revolution unfolds, energy investors can expect the unexpected, and changes in political leadership, economics, and various factions looking to destabilize the fragile government will have policymakers and business leaders treading lightly with regards to Libya.

The paradox is that, for starters, the resulting lower energy prices weaken both the Libyan economy and the economies of Arab states that rely on oil markets for geopolitical influence. With cheap and abundant oil resources since the 2014 crash, new policy responses are coming from nations like Saudi Arabia, which launched Vision 2030 and recently empowered the young son of King Salman as the next Saudi monarch. Other oil-reliant nations will have to respond as well if oil continues its downward trend.

Understanding Libya is a difficult assignment, but one thing is clear. As the country nears one million bpd in exports, any hope of stabilizing oil prices and by extension politics in the MENA region will remain elusive for years to come.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the authors are theirs alone and dont reflect any official position of Geopoliticalmonitor.com.

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Libyan Exports Rain on OPEC's Parade - Geopoliticalmonitor.com