One for the caliphateWHAT has been the worst mistake of Barack Obama’s presidency? Failing to plan for the day after intervening in Libya, says the president himself. Five years ago rebels backed by Western air strikes ousted Muammar Qaddafi, Libya’s dictator. But the West lost interest as the country stumbled on the path to democracy, then fell into civil war in 2014. Now Libya is divided, most notably between east and west, each with its own government, and home to three different branches of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
Amid the chaos, thousands of migrants have used Libya as an embarkation point for the trip across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. It is feared that terrorists are taking advantage of the lawlessness to plan attacks abroad.
So the West has stepped back in. America, Britain, France and Italy all have troops on the ground in Libya, and are increasingly being drawn into the fight against IS. With Western support, the UN is backing a government of national accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, the capital, and led by Fayez Seraj. But Libya’s many divisions are proving hard to mend.The GNA...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/2baDNOA
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