Haftar
British newspapers published on Monday covered many issues, including reports about Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar using the humanitarian catastrophe in Derna to expand his influence, the geopolitical ambitions that some wealthy people like Elon Musk may have, and whether Hunter Biden has exploited his father’s name and position to get rich. material.
We start from the Guardian newspaper and a report by Ruth Michaelson entitled “Warlord Haftar is using the response to Libya’s floods to extend his influence.” The writer says that as search and rescue teams continue to search for bodies trapped under the mud and the rubble of their homes in the Libyan coastal city of Derna, observers say that warlord Khalifa Haftar and his sons They use disaster response as a means of exercising control rather than ensuring that vital humanitarian aid reaches civilians.
She adds that at least 11,300 people were killed and more than ten thousand people are still missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent, after two dams collapsed during a strong storm last week.
The resulting floods completely destroyed nearly 900 buildings in Derna, according to the country’s Government of National Unity, based in the northwestern city of Tripoli.
Imad al-Din Badi, an analyst specializing in Libya, told the author, “There is a military entity that creates bottlenecks instead of providing relief.” He added, “The military leadership is not trying to advance relief efforts, since it has a vested interest in appearing to be in control while evading responsibility and blaming the victims.”
The writer says that Haftar, who has led a military campaign to unilaterally control much of eastern Libya since 2014, toured Derna on Friday. He praised those who initiated the rescue operations as well as members of the Libyan National Army, a coalition of militias overseen by Haftar, a former CIA agent and American citizen, whose critics accuse him of running areas under his control similar to a military dictator.
Elon Musk and defense privatization
image source, Getty Images
Elon Musk
We turn to the Financial Times editorial titled “Elon Musk and Defense Privatization.” The newspaper says that the scope of Elon Musk’s ambition, as stated in his biography published by Walter Isaacson this week, is amazing, as it extends from transforming the way we drive cars, through his electric car company Tesla, or how we think, through his ownership of X Company, formerly Twitter, to Ensuring the survival of the human race through his plans to colonize Mars
She adds that the wealth and technical control that people like Musk possess turns them into geopolitical actors. For example, Musk refused to allow his satellite internet system, known as Starlink, to be used by Kiev forces to launch a naval drone strike on Russian ships. Musk said at the time that he feared this would lead to a nuclear response from Moscow.
The newspaper says that the most important question is why this moody billionaire is given free rein to make such an important decision in a war that is raging.
The newspaper says that the technologies that changed the world, from the iPhone to Facebook, exist thanks to entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, and the companies they and others created. But we must be careful not to let these billionaires turn into people with obscene ambition to control the world.
The newspaper adds that public agencies such as NASA are increasingly relying on the likes of Musk or Jeff Bezos’s space company Blue Origin to achieve their goals. She adds that what began as civilian projects can take on military or security dimensions in times of conflict. She adds that the owners of these technologies and the owners of these powerful companies may feel that they control the course of the world and that they have the power to change the course of history. She adds that Musk previously tweeted peace proposals that included Russia keeping the Crimean Peninsula, which Kiev later denounced.
The newspaper says that the matter is not just an American phenomenon, as other countries have billionaires whose wealth and technological, industrial and media capabilities give them enormous influence.
The newspaper says that it is necessary to establish mechanisms or laws to ensure that governments supervise services or infrastructure with military applications when needed
Hunter Biden’s work
image source, Getty Images
Hunter and Joe Biden
We turn to The Times newspaper and an investigation by David Charter entitled “What is the truth about the financial situation of Joe and Hunter Biden?”
The writer says that Joe Biden said during the second presidential election debate with Donald Trump: “I have never taken a single penny from any foreign source in my life.”
This came in response to his rival’s claim that “Joe got three and a half million dollars from Russia… Your family got three and a half million dollars, and you know that one day, you’re going to have to explain.”
The writer says that the time for explanation and clarification has come.
He adds that House Republicans have launched an impeachment inquiry into the president, citing a “culture of corruption” surrounding the president.
He adds that last week was dominated by debates over whether impeachment, a mechanism developed to try the president in extreme circumstances, would be used for the third time in four years, and it had been used only twice before.
The writer says that most of the allegations revolve around Hunter Biden, the president’s 53-year-old son, whose questionable business dealings often seemed to use his father’s name to reap profits.
The writer says that the question is whether Biden (80 years old) misused his position to help his son or benefit from schemes that generate millions of dollars. The second part of the Republicans’ case revolves around allegations that the Biden administration thwarted a full legal investigation into Hunter Biden.
