The elder Hifter, 82, a longtime militia commander and former CIA assetwho spent years in exilein Virginia, has amassed significant power since the 2011 ouster and killing of former Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, emerging as the de facto leader of large swaths of the country. Hifter has attacked the government in Tripoli — which is recognized by the United Nations and European nations — and is strongly linked to a rival government in Benghazi.