King Of War: Starting with Arms Dealer

Joe Ga and his team built a temporary camp outside the city of Benghazi because Haftar dared not let P.B.'s people enter the city.

It wasn't that he feared Boss Joe would harm him, but he was worried that P.B.'s ostentatious convoy would impact the image of the National Army.

In fact, the strength of the National Army wasn't bad; they had the support of England and France and Russia and had indirectly received drone support from China through the United Arab Emirates.

Although urban security warfare was still fragmented, in terms of raw power on paper, they absolutely outclassed the terrorists and the Libyan Government of National Accord.

Unfortunately, warfare isn't something that can be judged by what's on paper. The National Army also had numerous warlords within its ranks, and to say that corruption was 'severe' would be an understatement—it was the norm…

Haftar was still in the process of consolidating internally, and before he defeated all his enemies, he needed to hold on to all the warlords he could, then utilize the continuous support from the major powers to expand his territory and increase his income as much as possible.

Only after Libya was reunified could he seize the opportunity to cleanse internally and redistribute power.

Unfortunately, this fellow's plans ran counter to those of the French, who hoped that Libya would always maintain an unstable political structure, so they couldn't allow the National Army to decisively defeat the Government of National Accord. Otherwise, what would happen if another Gaddafi emerged?

Although the National Army seemed to have controlled most of Libya, the factions among the warlords within were even more complicated than those external.

For now, Haftar clung to the protection of Russia and also had the support of England and France, so naturally, those warlords came together to share the profits.

But relying on warlords to save the country was like asking a tree for fish; everyone who could muster a few dozen people and buy a few dozen guns dared to take to the streets, and all they wanted was money.

The first thing those people thought about when Haftar painstakingly distributed the military aid was how to sell it for a good price.

Of course, Haftar himself wasn't exactly honorable, but he kept his greed well under control.

The $50 million worth of civilian supplies Joe Ga had promised for the first year had already arrived in Benghazi.

Originally, these supplies were meant to help him maintain the situation in Benghazi, but this fellow secretly held back a portion and sold it, and the money was still transferred to the Swiss Bank with Boss Joe's help.

The cheap crude oil that Boss Joe bought for $50 a barrel resulted in huge amounts of cash that had just entered the National Army's overseas account being divided up substantially, with only the remainder maintaining the operation of the National Army.

Now, the situation in the National Army was such that everyone with some power was vying for more benefits, all aiming to buy properties in Europe and America to facilitate their escape from the Libyan quagmire when necessary.

The elite troops of the National Army were really quite good, the overall quantity and configuration of the army looked decent on paper, but it was a problem even for the lower-level soldiers to get food, not to mention their deplorable weapons.

Compared with the Government of National Accord supported by the United Nations, also known as the Libyan Chiefs Alliance, they indeed did a bit better than the National Army.

Compared to the legendary corrupt magnates of Africa, Haftar was somewhat decent. His demands for money were relatively moderate, and he also had ambition.

However, when his most elite troops were drawn up against the same number of P.B. troops, the disparity was too embarrassing to watch.

Now that P.B.'s convoy had arrived, letting them into the city would make Haftar feel disrespected.

So, the big boss simply took the initiative to leave the city and met with Joe Ga at P.B.'s camp.

Joe Ga was actually very dissatisfied with the performance of the National Army…

P.B. had finally seized Tubruq, but the National Army's progress in Baida and Tulemaise was slow, actually allowing al-Qaeda to establish a foothold in northeastern Libya, which continued to threaten the safety of Tubruq.

Now that the troops from the United States, England, and France had withdrawn from Tubruq, al-Qaeda felt they could flex their muscles, so they issued threats to make P.B. look bad, directly leading to the instability of Tubruq.

This was the kind of situation that a private boss like Joe Ga hated most, because he couldn't afford to repeat his actions in Tubruq in Baida and Tulemaise; a person can endure so much and money can only stretch so far.

Since Nis had been in charge, just the bombs dropped on terrorists, calculated at market price, had already exceeded $200 million, and the subsequent security maintenance, including the current hiring, was continuously costing Boss Joe money.

If it weren't for the fact that the Cluster Bombs were made by Joe Ga himself, Hellfire was sponsored by the Americans, Blue Sword 7 was bought at a discount, and so many T1s had come to help for free, even if Byrdi had come to see the expenditure report, he would have slapped his forehead and shouted 'scared', then turned around and left.

Boss Joe asked for not much and much of the spending wasn't his own money, but a little less unnecessary outlay was pure profit for him.

Haftar also knew he was at fault because P.B. had accomplished what they had originally promised.

The flags of the National Army now flew over Tubruq and Byrdi, although there wasn't a single person from the National Army there; but he had given face and substance.

Boss Joe had promised to restore order to two cities within three years; now, in less than three months, he had nearly achieved it.

The scattered attacks now were mainly because the National Army wasn't up to par, unable to control the area west of Tubruq, which gave al-Qaeda room to infiltrate.

Although Boss Joe had taken over the oil exports and refinery, he indeed fulfilled his promise to purchase crude oil inland at 50 US Dollars per barrel. The profit he made from the price difference was mostly converted into supplies to fill the starving city.

Now was a time when Tubruq and Byrdi were thriving, but the National Army, their employer, was holding them back.

So, after Haftar arrived at the P·B temporary camp discreetly, he behaved very amiably.

When he sat down in a tent with Joe Ga, Haftar was accompanied by only two bespectacled men...

This was the first official meeting between Joe Ga and Haftar. Looking at the somewhat fierce-looking old man in front of him, he smiled and said, "Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you. I think we should talk about Baida and Tulemaise."

As he spoke, Joe Ga saw Haftar perk up, and he decisively gestured with his hand, saying, "I must clarify beforehand that I am not interested in those two cities, and I no longer have the manpower or energy to continue handling business.

I am thinking, could the National Army devote a bit more effort?"

You should know the importance of Tubruq, allowing me to fully commit to restoring the economic condition of Tubruq is beneficial for the entire National Army.

In the past, you guarded the oil fields but couldn't sell the crude oil. Now that I have opened trade routes for your crude oil, why have you slowed down your pace?

Sir, you should know that I haven't made any profit in Tubruq yet..."

After listening, Haftar exchanged glances with the two men beside him and after a long silence, he said, "Hu Lang, I didn't expect you to make such rapid progress...

You should know that the National Army actually controls the central and northeastern parts of Libya. Our territory is too vast, so we have to spread our forces thinly.

I understand the importance of economic development, which is why I really don't want to fight, but our conflicts with the National Unity Government are irreconcilable.

The situation in Baida and Tulemaise is complex, and I would rather maintain stability for a time through negotiations."

Upon hearing this, Joe Ga understood that Haftar was encountering problems...

The specific reason was not hard to guess, probably because the National Unity Government's call for help was answered by Turkey.

Haftar probably wanted to stabilize the terrorists first and deal with the National Unity Government's assault afterwards.

Haftar's control over the warlord alliance was really not great; his direct troops were indeed capable fighters, but their numbers were limited, and he had to rely on warlords to govern the territory.

His main forces being redeployed meant he couldn't push the warlords in Baida and Tulemaise as hard.

If someone told Joe Ga that those warlords had ties with Al Qaeda, he wouldn't be surprised at all!

This situation was extremely frustrating for Boss Joe. The familiar Americans were exhausted by their entanglements in Iraq and Aqionghan. What merit did P·B have to enjoy the treatment from the Americans, especially since he wasn't using American taxpayers' money!

Two terrorist strongholds stood on the west side of Tubruq, also seizing the critical coastal highway, causing Joe's logistics and trading operations to be obstructed—how could anyone tolerate this for long?

Facing this situation, Joe Ga said somewhat helplessly, "So, you really can't do anything about it..."

Haftar read the impatience in Joe Ga's demeanor. He exchanged a look with one of the men in glasses beside him and then chuckled, saying, "Hu Lang, you are a capable and trustworthy person, so I think we can deepen our cooperation.

I know the situation in Baida and Tulemaise has impacted the development of Tubruq. I received a memo from P·B and know that you have supported the local people there in setting up a temporary administrative government.

My thought is, I can allow the Tubruq government law enforcement powers in the name of the National Army. You will have the authority to arrest and prosecute terrorists and criminals who pose a threat.

However, I require that this police force fall under the jurisdiction of the National Army nominally, and once P·B withdraws from Libya, they must join the ranks of the National Army's government..."

As he spoke, Haftar saw the puzzled expression on Joe Ga's face. He coughed uncomfortably and said, "Hu Lang, this is the best solution because war does not solve the core issues. We will have to take this step sooner or later.

The National Army temporarily lacks this capability, but I think P·B is able to support a capable law enforcement team.

As compensation, I can reduce the price of purchasing crude oil in Tubruq from 50 dollars to 45 dollars per barrel."

Joe Ga stared at Haftar in amazement and said, "You want to give me a 5-dollar discount per barrel to help you establish a law enforcement system in northeastern Libya?

According to what you say, if the police enforce the law in the city, does it mean there is no war?

But I don't understand how you can convince those warlords and terrorists to respect the law?"

As he spoke, Joe Ga tapped his forehead, suddenly understanding Haftar's scheme...