Al-Rashed expects a tougher US stance on settlement spoilers
LIBYA – Former General National Congress member Nadia Al-Rashed has said that the policy of “strategic patience” pursued by the United States and the international community towards Libya may, in her assessment, be nearing its end, saying it was likely that Washington would withdraw political cover from Libyan figures and impose punitive measures.
Settlement spoilers and networks of interest
In comments to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Al-Rashed said those obstructing a settlement are not, in her view, confined to ideological currents linked to supporters of political Islam with military affiliations, but may include political figures, militia leaders, non-ideological groups and businessmen driven by economic interests and networks of influence who benefit from continued division.
An example of US accountability tools
Al-Rashed cited US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to bar Osama Al-Masri, known as “Njeem”, a former official in Libya’s Judicial Police, along with his wife and members of his family, from entering the United States over allegations of gross human rights violations. She described the decision as an indication that accountability tools could be widened.
