Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Karim Mezran cowrites for the Hill on the recent turning point in the ongoing crisis in Libya:
The crisis in Libya appears to be reaching a turning point. The military situation is at a standstill, yet the political status quo cannot hold for much longer as control of the Central Bank and the oil wealth has become the primary field of contention. This presents an opening for outside mediation. The international community, and especially the U.S., should redouble their efforts to broker a resolution.
The anti-Islamist Zintani militia have been calling for a counteroffensive to take back Tripoli and regain ground lost over the summer. The leader of the Qaqaa, the main militia associated with Zintan, was recently in Tobruk to discuss the supply of weapons to his troops as they coordinate a plan of attack against Islamist-leaning Libya Dawn forces in the capital. In the east, especially in Benghazi, anti-Islamist Operation Dignity troops are intensifying their offensive against the jihadists of Ansar al-Sharia. Yet neither group has the military power to roll back their opponents. In fact, they will remain military outmatched for quite some time. Meanwhile, their adversaries are growing stronger by the minute.