US eyes new campaign in Libya against ISIS/ISIL

The US is considering a new campaign of military action in Libya against Daesh, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, amid worries that the terrorist group could seize control of a larger slice of territory in the country.

Peter Cook, Pentagon press secretary, said the US was “looking at military options” for Libya “in the event” that Daesh “becomes more of a threat than it is even today”. Officials said the potential options would include concerted air strikes against Daesh and limited operations by special operations forces.

The new plans for potential military action in Libya come four years after the civil war and subsequent western campaign to topple Muammar Gaddafi. The chaos and instability in the country since then has created space for Daesh and other militant groups to prosper.

Alarm in western capitals about Libya has grown in recent weeks as Daesh, which already controls a long strip of coastline around the city of Sirte, has used heavy weapons to launch attacks against a series of oil facilities.

• US officials say there has been an influx of Daesh fighters into Libya, partly as a result of the stronger controls on the flow of fighters into Syria from Turkey.

However, there is also concern among western officials that a new outside military intervention against Daesh could hamper the political process aimed at forging a new national unity government in Libya...
 [gulfnews.com]
28/1/15
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• The U.S. is weighing potential military options in Libya as ISIS extremists expand their influence in the North African nation roiled by political instability, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday...