More freedom on the march in Libya:  Gunman Storm Libyan Parliament

Members of a militia allied to renegade general Khalifa Hiftar hit the building with anti-aircraft guns and rockets, causing MPs to flee in panic as parts of the complex caught fire.

“Anti-aircraft guns and rockets,” that’s some serious firepower in the hand of this militia.  They apparently trashed some of the offices but no members of the parliament were harmed or taken hostage.

The attack followed three days of fighting in the eastern capital, Benghazi, between Hiftar’s forces and pro-government militias that has left 70 dead.

This is where it gets confusing — it’s Hiftar’s forces in Benghazi fighting “pro-government militias.”  But in Tripoli, Hiftar’s forces are gunman and a milita.  But it gets better (better as in less intelligible):

Sections of the armed forces have defected to the general [Hiftar], with his jets pounding militia bases in Benghazi.

Renegade General Hiftar’s forces have jets pounding miitia bases in Benghazi?  Well, yes:

The government, caught by surprise by the attack, has declared a no-fly zone over Benghazi, only to see air force units defy it to continue bombing attacks.

It sort of looks and smells like a coup and has been defined as such by the Prime Minister — but Hiftar says no, it’s not because because he doesn’t seek power and only wants to save Libya from Islamists.

The fighting, the worst in Libya since the Arab Spring revolution of 2011, has spread across the country as army and militia units declare for the rebels or the government.

Who is General Hiftar?  FWIW – UK Telegraph 12/11

Khalifa Hiftar and Mahmoud Jibril, both living in the U.S., and probably U.S. citizens of Libyan origin, surfaced in the liberated city of Benghazi, along, or about the same time, as CIA undercover agents and low level U.S. diplomats arrived in Benghazi to evaluate the situation and set the roots for a pro-U.S. post-Gadhafi regime.

Moving right along to the hapless US SOS who continues his haplessness:

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry vowed on Thursday to step-up U.S. backing of armed opponents of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad as part of an 11-nation “redoubled” effort that critics warn will bring further military escalation to the war-torn country.

WTF — back to arming al Qaeda affiliated fighters in Syria because the US shenanigans in Ukraine are getting dicey and exposed?  Mr. Kerry, get a clue; the Syrian “rebels” are really bad dudes – Syria’s Aleppo faces deadly water shortage after rebels block supply

Islamist militants from Syria’s opposition have cut off the water supply to most parts of the city of Aleppo by targeting pumping stations. The city has now been plunged into abject misery, as the government and NGOs race to find alternative sources.  

More than two million people have been affected by the resulting water shortage after two pumping stations were shut down. Water has stopped flowing not only into government-held areas, as intended, but into practically every corner of Syria’s largest city, which is presently divided in two spheres of control.

Fighters of the Al-Nusra Front and related groups were interested in keeping the water flowing to east Aleppo and prevent it from flowing into the western parts, AFP reports. But the plan backfired, and now tons of water have been squandered irretrievably in the Quqayq river.

For a quick update on recent events in Ukraine, see Pepe Escobar’s Ukraine: the Waiting Game.