In another sign of growing turmoil, air controllers halted work in Tripoli, shutting off much of Western Libya from international traffic. On Wednesday, Libya reopened the western Misrata airport, which had been closed with Tripoli after the weekend attack. However, the Misrata Airport will have to be shut again because Tripoli air controllers are also responsible for Misrata. Also, gunmen shot dead Fariha al-Barkawi, a former member of parliament, in the Eastern City of Derna. She is the second prominent woman to be assassinated, following the killing of Benghazi human rights activist Salwa Bugaighis last month.The strike is designed by the workers to put pressure on rival militias to end four days of heavy fighting over control of the country's biggest airport. Since the airport violence was instigated by the Libya Shield militia, a Misratan-based militia, this tactic is designed to eliminate any possible incentives Misratan forces may have to destroy the Tripoli Airport for the purpose of luring in more international flight business into Misrata. In the case of Fariha Al-Barkawi, one can see that the rift between Islamist and Nationalist forces is only growing as Rogue General Khalifa Haftar attempts to rid Cyrenaica of the various Islamist factions.It will be interesting to see what becomes of the Islamist-influenced factions as the official results of the Parliamentary Elections. Outside of Misrauta, Souq-Al Jouma and parts of Cyrenaica, these factions are relying on military force and violence to have their voice heard in the country. One would suspect, at this point, that the Islamists will not honour the election results on the basis of the relatively low turnout.
Islamist-Nationalist Rift Intensifies as Another Prominent Female Activist is Assassinated and Airport Workers Strike