Jonathan M. Winer: Libya Crisis at the Crossroads of Russia-Ukraine War June 13, 2022
10 min read
In this episode, Ambassador Jonathan M. Winer discusses the increasing tension between Libya’s two competing governments and argues the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in conflict. He evaluates the roles of external military powers and the proxies fighting in the region and emphasizes how their involvement jeopardizes the odds of Libya’s reunification. As a timely topic, he assesses Libya’s potential as an alternative energy source for Europe. Finally, Ambassador Winer provides insights on how to help the Libyan people in their efforts to bring peace to their country.
Ambassador Jonathan M. Winer served as the United States Special Envoy for Libya during the Obama administration. He was previously U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for international law enforcement, where he was one of the architects of U.S. international policies and strategies on promoting and harmonizing financial transparency, as well as on cross-border law enforcement issues such as cybercrime, small arms trafficking, illegal immigration, and money laundering. He initiated the establishment of International Law Enforcement Academies in Bangkok and Gaborone and served as the first General Secretary of the Global Forum on Corruption.
Mr. Winer served for ten years as counsel and principal legislative assistant to the then-U.S. Senator John F. Kerry. In November 1999, Mr. Winer received a distinguished honor award from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for his service at the State Department. The award stated that "he created the capacity of the Department and the U.S. government to deal with international crime and criminal justice as important foreign policy functions," and that "the scope and significance of his achievements are virtually unprecedented for any single official."
In 2016, Ambassador Winer received the highest award granted by the Secretary of State for “extraordinary service to the U.S. government” in avoiding the massacre of over 3,000 members of an Iranian dissident group in Iraq and leading U.S. policy in Libya.