Khalifa Haftar
Commander, Libyan National Army
"We do not distinguish between a terrorist and the one who supports him."
Biography
Khalifa Haftar was born in Ajdabiya in 1943 and served as a young officer alongside Gaddafi in the 1969 coup that brought him to power. He rose to general leading Libyan forces in the disastrous Chad war of the 1980s, was captured, and when Gaddafi disavowed his forces to save face, Haftar defected to the CIA-backed opposition. He spent nearly two decades in Reston, Virginia, reportedly with US intelligence connections, before returning to Libya after Gaddafi's fall. His attempt to seize power through 'Operation Dignity' in May 2014 split the country into two armed camps and began the second civil war.
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Key Battles
Operation Dignity — Second Civil War
May 16, 2014 · 500 total casualties
Battle of Benghazi
LNA / Haftar Forces / Gaddafi victoryMay 2014–July 2017 · 4,000 total casualties
LNA Offensive on Tripoli
April 4, 2019 · 3,000 total casualties
UN Ceasefire Agreement
October 23, 2020 · 0 total casualties
Life Journey
Timeline
November 7, 1943
🌅 Birth
Born in Ajdabiya, eastern Libya
September 1, 1969
📍 Posting
Participated in Gaddafi's coup as junior officer
1987
⚔️ Battle
Captured in Chad; Gaddafi disavows him; defects to opposition
1990
🕊️ Postwar
Settles in Reston, Virginia; reported CIA contacts
May 16, 2014
⚔️ Battle
Launches Operation Dignity; splits Libya into two governments
April 4, 2019
⚔️ Battle
Launches major offensive on Tripoli; stalls after Turkish intervention