I'm always skeptical when I read a headline like this and sometimes, the subsequent article just makes me cringe with its gullibility. This time however, Reuters' Ghaith Shennib adds a little bit of nuance, he knows full well that troops are not going to be deployed against Jadhran and Co. if some ultimatum is overstepped and he lets the reader draw that conclusion. It would be better if the issue was analyzed more directly, but such is nature of journalism these days. You can read the whole thing by clicking here or my selections below.
Zeidan has repeatedly warned he may use force to free up three key ports where protesters demanding more autonomy from Tripoli have cut off around 600,000 barrels per day of oil exports since summer. Negotiations have gone nowhere with the eastern federalists who have set up their own self-styled Cyrenaica government. But local eastern tribal leaders and officials say support is waning for Jathran within the federalist movement. An attempt to load a tanker at Es Sider port ended abruptly when the navy opened fire, making clear how difficult it would be for Jathran to sell oil independently of Tripoli. But with Libya's nascent army still in training, most analysts say it will also be difficult for Zeidan to send troops to free up the ports, where Jathran has dug in with his own militia.