As Libya's rival governments vie for control of the country, the House of Representatives got a welcome boost. Early on Jan. 11, Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter's Libyan National Army set up roadblocks across the city of Tobruk, where the House of Representatives is based. News quickly spread that Hifter's forces, which support the Tobruk-based government led by Aguila Saleh Issa, had locked down the city in anticipation of a visit from high-ranking Russian military officials. Though Russian naval officers were later spotted in Tobruk itself, the visit's main event took place aboard the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, where Hifter held a video conference with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Contrary to rumors, the meeting did not produce announcements of a counterterrorism alliance between Russia and Libya. Instead, it was a symbolic show of support for the House of Representatives and a demonstration of Russia's diplomatic clout....
