Now, but first, its time for hardtalk. I will hardtalk. I will be back in half an hour. Hardtalk is on the road in benghazi, libya. Im stephen sackur. This city has been ripped apart by six years of conflict. Thousands have been killed, tens of thousands have fled. Eastern libya and the west are run by rival Political Institutions but there is now something resembling a functioning authority here, imposed by the military strongman in eastern libya, Marshal Khalifa haftar. Can the commander who once served kadhafi pull libya back from the brink . Myjourney to libya starts with a little piece of history. The first scheduled flight bound to benghazi in three years. The citys airport was closed down by heavy fighting in 2014. Back then, jihadists seized most of the city. Those days are over. Thank you. 0k, bye. So here we have one small sign of normality returning to one libyan city. The terminal building is nothing but a shed. There arent many flights. But to the people of benghazi, this feels like the lifting of a siege. This is what the war left behind. Entire neighbourhoods of benghazi deserted, reduced to rubble. Ganfouda is one of the last redoubts of so called Islamic State. Benghazi university was scene of some of the fiercest fighting. This once splendid campus, built by german architects in the 1950s, was turned into a military base and Training Camp by thejihadists. This university used to be the pride of benghazi. Now it is just rotting in the sun. It will need a massive reconstruction effort to revive this place and there is no sign of it starting. The origins of the chaos can be found in 2011. Colonel gaddafis planned assault on an uprising in benghazi brought western powers into a conflict which ended with his overthrow. With gaddafi gone, president sarkozy of france and Prime Minister cameron of britain rushed to benghazi to claim credit. Colonel gaddafi said he would hunt you down like rats, but you showed the courage of lions and we salute your courage. But the feelgood factor was fleeting. Post gaddafi libya plunged into anarchy. In benghazi, radical islamist factions took control. They killed the us ambassador. In 2014, a fightback against thejihadists began in eastern libya. It was led by this man, khalifa haftar, a top man in gaddafis army until the two men fell out in the late 1980s. Haftar took charge of the self proclaimed Libyan National army and vowed to liberate benghazi from the islamist militants. It took him three years. Only now are residents who fled the ganfouda neighbourhood making a tentative return. This man, abdullah, agrees to show me around. This was your house . How do you feel now when you look at it . But this whole neighbourhood has been ruined. Look around. Theres no way for anybody to live here now, is there . The last three years of fighting in benghazi took thousands of lives and forced tens of thousands out of their homes. This family is now rebuilding their house but some things cant be restored. Mohammeds19 year old brother was executed, beheaded, by the militants. How can you be sure that the war will not return . If we look around your neighbourhood, it is destroyed, so it seems crazy to spend so much money rebuilding here. So if i come back in five years time, what is ganfouda going to look like . There is no mistaking who is in charge in benghazi now. Marshal haftar glowers down from a thousand billboards. Haftar and his army see this as a turning point for libya, order replacing chaos thanks to military rule. In downtown benghazi, there are still checkpoints and no go areas. For much of the conflict, the front line between the jihadists and haftars forces ran alongside the tibesty hotel, which looms over the city centre. Close by, we found a gaggle of local supporters of the man they call their saviour. For more than three years, we have been suffering as the people of benghazi. Thousands have been displaced but luckily, fortunately, theyre back to their homes because of. In the safe hands of the libyan army under the command of khalifa haftar. What you want to happen now . Do you want to see Marshal Haftar marching to tripoli with the Libyan National army . They want him to be the president of libya because what he promised. But he would be a dictator. He is not a dictator in three years, this guy had given the freedom and the confidence, not only for army officers, but for police, for intelligence, for internal security. Everything. Do you really think he would be. He gave us peace. Do you really think he would be a good president for this country . He is truly a good leader. Libya is a country of desert, vast distances and disparate tribes. Its also a land rich in oil and gas. The reserves are pumped to the coast, the so called 0il crescent. This is brega, a sprawling oil and Gas Processing complex run by sirte 0il, part of the national oil company, the noc, owned by the state. Awad guides me around this ageing plant. Are they monitoring emission from the chimneys . Yes. And how clean is it . Its not a new plant. It depends on the fuel. Oil wealth was the glue that held in gaddafis fiefdom together. After his demise, the jihadists tried to get their hands on these assets. They failed, and now Marshal Haftars army rules the oil crescent. There have been times over the past six years when its looked like the violence and political chaos in libya could shut down this vital industry, but it has never quite happened. The oil and the gas is still flowing but as for the revenues being generated, well, much of the money is being creamed off by different warlords and militias. Ive looked around your facilities. It seems to me you have equipment from the 1950s, 1960s. Yes, you are right, yeah. You need a lot of investment. Yes, yes, you are right. Who is going to give you the money . Noc, as usual noc. But theyre not giving you money, are they . There is a problem with the money, yeah. You know, the political situation in libya now, two government, two army like this. It sounds like from what you are saying that it is currently impossible for you to develop this facility. Yeah, for the time being, yes. Without investment, Capital Investment or without money, we cannot do anything. 0nly we are trying to keep the oil company alive. But this is a disaster for libya. Oil and gas is the lifeblood of your country. Of course its a disaster and this disaster started since 2011. But now there is improvement. We feel there is improvement. You know now, the east of libya completely controlled by mr haftar, and the south of libya as well. Stilljust part of west of libya, thats controlled by militia. I think, i think in the nearest future, all this problem will be solved, inshaallah. As you sit here with me today, are you confident they will . Inshaallah. Libya tv, based in benghazi, is projecting a message of change. The outside World Associates libya with images of violence, terrorism and people smuggling. But here, they lead the news with Marshal Haftars latest pronouncements on terrorists vanquished and order restored. But this is what you dont see on libya tv. Disturbing evidence has surfaced on the internet of haftars forces seemingly conducting summary executions. The International Criminal court is investigating this as a war crime and has issued an arrest warrant for the officer in charge. Ahmed, you said that you report the truth to the people but how independent are you . The un yesterday issued a report which expressed very serious concern the un yesterday issued a report which expressed very serious concern about allegations with evidence of war crimes committed by the Libyan National army during their operations in ganfouda in march of this year. Is your network free to report and investigate those allegations . There are people inside libya and outside libya who worry that Marshal Haftar is a military man, and he may end up moving to tripoli and seeking the leadership of this country. As a journalist, do you think it would be very dangerous for libya to have, as the nations leader, a military man, not a civilian politician . There are pockets of normality in benghazi places where the tide of violence seems to have been stemmed but the calm at the beach cant disguise an undercurrent of tension. 0ur movements in the city have to be co ordinated with Marshal Haftars military command. Whistle blows it is a city of checkpoints, security patrols, and plain clothes agents. When we try to film food being handed out to the poor, we were stopped. I came here on the promise of a rare interview with marhsal haftar. But he changed his mind he cancelled at the last minute. He presents himself as a defender of freedom, but it seems he doesnt welcome scrutiny of his own record. Last month, Marshal Haftar went to paris, to meet fayez al sarraj, Prime Minister of the rival, tripoli based government. With president macron acting as matchmaker, the libyan rivals committed themselves to a cease fire and nationwide elections next year. But Marshal Haftars army now controls three quarters of libyan territory. He and his eastern government think that they can call the shots. Do you believe in a political solution to libyas problems, or do think there will have to be a military solution . Because your man, Marshal Haftar, appears to believe that he will have to provide the military solution. Mr haftar is involved in a political process and he is playing ball with the International Community and with his compatriots. But he is a soldier, not a politician. But he is also concerned about rebuilding the authority of the state over our national territories, because the authority of the state has been rebuffed in favour of militia who have the upper hand and are sending terrorists to neighbouring countries. Injune, 2015, 27 uk nationals were slaughtered were killed, by a terrorist tunisian terrorist, who was trained in western libya, in which, right now, we have the gna. If i may say so, minister, this is your attempt to paint yourselves, in the east, general haftar, and all of this associates, as the defenders of western interests. But thats not going to work, is it . Because the west has looked at haftar, and they believe they see a man they cannot trust. I think he is increasingly trusted. He has had many meetings with western ambassadors here in libya, who came to see him, and abroad. I dont think that i would agree with your contention. Well, i think what diplomats do is they look at haftars record, they look at how he conducts his operations, and they look at what is happening in benghazi. You will have read the latest un report, suggesting that as haftar moved his forces back into benghazi, there were egregious abuses of human rights. Thats somethign which worries the International Community. It worries us to. These reports came out, and he voiced his concerns. And that worries us to. These reports came out, and he voiced his concern, and he said that he would address them by investigating these people who have been committing these acts these outlawed acts. Have you seen the pictures and videos, minister, of people being shot in the back of the head, bound hand and feet, and executed . Unfortunately, i have seen them. These acts should stop. I am sure the army staff will look into that seriously because of the wrongdoing that we have seen here. But let us be blunt and honest here for a moment, minister. You sit here is a civilian politician, but you dont call the shots, here. Its the military that does, led by Marshal Haftar. And let me quote you the Economist Intelligence unit. Looking at whats happening on the ground on the east, they say it looks as if there is a drift to authoritarianism. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace talks of quote the militarisation of governance in the east libya. That is the reality. Libyans do need that law and order because of the chaos that has so far prevailed, especially since 2014. You say there is evidence that the gna government is tolerating terrorism, and you say that there is evidence that qatar, for example, has been supporting terrorism in western libya. But i havent seen anything to back up these claims. Where is the evidence . There were some shipments of weapons who have sent by qatar in tripoli, in misrata we know that. But what i know, and what i have seen as cast iron evidence is the shipments of arms coming to you from the uae, from egypt. You seem to be focused on the qatari connection in the west, when in fact, it appears there is a connection with the uae, egypt, and saudi arabia, here in the east. That is a violation of the un weapons embargo, and these are weapons that have been coming to you. I am not privy to those details. But you are the so called foreign minister but i am not involved with military affairs. I cannot corroborate what you have just said. I know there is a great deal of support that has been provided by egypt. I am mindful that in 2011, the libyan people rose up in a revolution against a long time dictator, muammar gaddafi. Sometimes it looks as though, in a figure of khalifa haftar, libya might once again be flirting with a potential dictator. Libya will flirt with a president who will be duly elected by its own people. The world wants a peaceful, united, safe libya, where terrorism is eliminated. Yes. Do you think we are going to see that in the next one, two years . I am hopeful, optimistic, about that. Because there is a great deal of will among libyans that we should put an end to this split of libya, to the fact that we have two governments, and, indeed, to put an end to this chaos that we have suffered from. Benghazis top football team, al ahli, are preparing for the new season. Remarkably, through all of the years of violence, the Libyan National league has kept going one semblance of unity amid the division and chaos. A generation of young libyan men have grown up with guns, militias, and war. In eastern libya, Marshal Haftar is seen as a warrior and a winner. But on the other side of this crippled country, his ultimate victory seems much less certain. Hi there. Yesterday was a pretty humid day, wasnt it . We did have some sunshine coming through. The best in southwest england, temperatures climbing to 25 degrees in bute. It was not sunny everywhere, a couple of inches of rain in Northern Ireland, 15 millimetres in just four hours in county tyrone. Rain not just heavy but also thundery. Thunderstorms rumbling north east across Northern Ireland through the night. To the start of friday, the band of rain has moved away from Northern Ireland and into scotland. A soggy start with some wet weather swinging into north west england. Mild and muggy to start for many of us, 16 17 degrees. Wet weather still with us for a good part of the morning across scotland. For eastern areas, low cloud with fog patches around the coast and hills. An improving picture in Northern Ireland. Cloud breaking to give some sunny spells. Starting to see things a bit brighter nibbling in across south west of wales and South West England as well. Time to see what happens through the rest of wednesday. This area of cloud and rain is tied in with this weather front. Slowly pushing eastwards across the country. Ahead of that front, warm and muggy air across east anglia and south east england. If the sunshine comes out through the cloud, it could become very warm. Generally, the weather turning a bit fresher from the west as the day goes by. Temperatures getting into the low 20s, had even mid 20s in the warmest areas in the west. Further east, we could see highs of 27. To get that, we need some sunshine. 27 would be the hottest day of august so far. Wednesday night, rain taking a while to clear from north east scotland. Through the night, showers from North Western areas. A fresh night, temperatures 13 14 fairly widely. The picture through thursday, a north west, south east split. A flat ridge of High Pressure in the south, keeping weather largely dry for southern areas on thursday. Close to the low pressure in the north west, seeing a number of showers affecting Northern Ireland, scotland and the north west of england. At times, those showers could merge in Northern Ireland, becoming a long flow with the winds. Could be lengthy in places. Friday, chances of rain across the west of the uk. The driest and sunniest weather across southern and eastern areas. Thats your forecast. Im rico hizon, in singapore. This is newsday. The headlines divers find bodies aboard the damaged american warship and questions grow about the state of the us pacific fleet. Indonesia names a cleric already injail as a suspect in the Islamic State groups first attack in southeast asia. Im babita sharma, in london. Also in the programme Indias Supreme Court bans the islamic practice of instant divorce. Will it end the misery suffered by thousands of women . This issue will change the entire landscape of muslim laws in india. Numb and confused Princes William and harry tell the bbc about their memories of the days after their mothers death, 20 years ago
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