Libya Needs International Arms Embargo Lifted To Fight Terrorism - Haftar To Sputnik

The UN Security Council embargo on arms sales to Libya prevents the country from fighting terrorism effectively, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), told Sputnik

BENGHAZI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th October, 2019) The UN Security Council embargo on arms sales to Libya prevents the country from fighting terrorism effectively, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA), told Sputnik.

"To continue the embargo is to prolong the existence of terrorism, prolong the war and increase its costs," Haftar said, adding that "despite the ban, terrorist and militia organizations in Libya are importing arms of all kinds."

"If there was no embargo, we would have eliminated terrorism in Libya years ago, and we would not have paid such a high price," the field marshal said.

LNA uses "mostly Russian weapons, which were imported under agreements over the past decades, and are old and in need of regular maintenance," Haftar said.

"Russia can play an active role in lifting the arms embargo, but the resolution needs a majority in the Security Council and no veto," the field marshal said.

"We know that the issue of lifting the embargo is not easy and requires international consensus, but the world must understand what the national army is doing. We need weapons to fight terrorism, secure borders, prevent illegal immigration and smuggling, and defend the country against any aggression," Haftar explained.