Libyan forces allied with the U.N.-backed government fire weapons during a battle with IS fighters in Sirte, Libya, July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic/File Photo
While U.S. jets and drones are pounding Islamic State in the Libyan city of Sirte, Western powers are unlikely to expand their military involvement rapidly, anxious to avoid exacerbating factional divisions as the government they support struggles to establish itself.
The United Nations-backed government asked for the U.S. air strikes which began on Aug. 1, but it has still not made a long-awaited request for broader security help - including a possible easing of an international arms embargo on the factions which emerged during and after the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.
"They know that the international community is ready to help with training and advice, but specific requests are not emerging yet," said a Western diplomatic source.
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Update #1: Even with US airstrikes, a struggle to oust Islamic State from Libya -- Stars and Stripes/Washington Post
Update #2: US Forces Conduct 9 Airstrikes in Libya in Support of Anti-Daesh Operation -- Sputnik
WNU Editor: Any air campaign must be supplemented by ground forces .... but there is no stomach in western capitals to increase their ground presence in Libya .... hence the debate on how effective are these air strikes.
1 comment:
This is Samantha Power's and Obama's smart power 5 years after it was supposed to be done and over with.
Maybe Samantha is as smart as the smartest woman in the the world, Hillary, and this is why it is taking so long!
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