Bandar Bin Sultan, UAE Crown Prince Fail to Carry Out Coup in Libya

 (FNA)- Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Bandar Bin Sultan and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahayan failed to carry out a joint coup in Libya.

The Libyan coup, masterminded by Prince Bandar and funded by Sheikh Mohamed, was planned to be carried out concurrent with the 3rd anniversary of the Libyan Revolution on February 17 and to replicate the Egyptian Coup of July 3 to portray it as a “correction of the revolution’s path”, the same pretext used to justify the coup in Egypt, sources who asked to remain anonymous said.

Preliminary investigations indicate that Libyan coup d'état leader Major General Khalifah Haftar has received huge amounts of money from the Sheikh Mohamed to carry out the coup.

Major General Haftar has, in turn, paid equally huge amounts to Libyan officers and soldiers to help him carry out the coup, though unsuccessfully, sources said.

Sheikh Mohamed is reportedly dismayed by the failed coup d'état in Libya which he funded with large sums of UAE money, and for which he had planned for a long time, sources in the Libyan government told Asrar Arabeya news website.

Moreover, Asrar Arabeya obtained information indicating that renowned Libyan politician Mahmoud Gebril is currently seeking political asylum outside Libya after his involvement in the coup d'état has been exposed.

Preliminary information showed that the UAE planned the coup d'état in Libya with the help of Mohamed Dahlan, the security advisor of Al-Nahayan, and a former Palestinian official, said the sources.