Tag Archives: Libya

U.S. Conditions IS Libya Fight on Unity Government

February 2, 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry met with officials from 23 nations in Rome to discuss combating IS. Secretary Kerry addressed his growing concerns of the Islamic State’s (IS) presence in Libya especially. The growing fear is that the terrorist organization will take advantage of the lack of stability to control oil fields to further finance its operations.

Libya has been in turmoil since the NATO-backed ousting of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011. The Libyan government is currently split between an internationally recognized government in Tobruk, the General National Congress (GNC), and an unofficial government in Tripoli led by the Islamist Libya Dawn faction. Libya Dawn was able to force the GNC out of the Tripoli in 2014, and the international community has been working ever since to unite the two governments.

Libya Dawn and the GNC signed a UN-brokered agreement to unify the government last December. However, it is unclear what Libya Dawn hopes to get out of the agreement, as it was their decision to attempt to seize power following election losses that led to the current fissure.

While the Libya Dawn government may claim they want to end hostilities and unite the government, it’s likely just a play to regain power.

Libya Dawn is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, and the enemy of the El-Sisi government in Egypt. This had led to the decision by Cairo to fully back the GNC and openly opposed any agreement that would return the Islamists to legitimate political power. Egypt has been the driving force behind Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s anti-Islamist “Operation Dignity” campaign which has seen battlefield gains against the Islamist factions.

IS has become a growing concern to North African nations. The Free Fire Blog recently discussed the growing connections between the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and IS’s growing trade network with Hamas in Gaza. In Libya, IS has taken control of Sirte, a city that links east and west of Libya, and has launched numerous attacks around the country.

International Business Times reported last year of IS threatening to wage war on Libya Dawn, but those hostilities may subside while both sides are being targeted by Egyptian and UAE airstrikes.

Breitbart News reports on troubling news of possible cooperation  between IS, Al Qaeda (AQ), and the Muslim Brotherhood within Libya. This merger would threaten any chance Libya has at stability, and if the Brotherhood were to take over, it would further threaten the neighboring government of Egypt.

Libya’s hopes for stability are quickly fading, and the Obama Administration may be apart of the blame. The Obama Administration allowed for weapon shipments to be sent to armed rebel groups during the uprising against Qaddafi. Some of these weapons fell in the hands of jihadist groups which allowed them to fight for control of Libya once Qaddafi was killed.

While the U.S. initially armed rebel groups, it has taken a step back from Libya. Instead, the Obama Administration has harshly criticized those who take part in Libya’s issues through violence, especially the UAE and Egypt. It seems ironic for the Administration to criticize others for trying to stop terrorism when they were the ones who facilitated it.

Libya’s stability is crucial against the fight against terrorism. Terrorists have been smuggling fighters through Libya to Europe and Syria. Libya is also an important connector between Islamic State’s home base in Syria and it’s efforts in West Africa. Without a stable government to prevent this, it will continue to threaten the stability of the region.

While Secretary Kerry may be worried about IS in Libya, there must be a greater focus on the wider Islamist threat to the country. The Muslim Brotherhood poses just as large a threat to Libyan stability as IS, and if they are given any political legitimacy it will only serve to expand jihadist activity in the country. Despite the Obama Administration’s insistence to the contrary, a GNC victory over Libyan Dawn would have a better impact on security than enforcing upon Libya a unity government that neither side really wants.

Benghazi: The Cover-Up Timeline

 #WhyWasntAnythingDone

1990s-2010: Libyan Muslim Brotherhood & Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), an Al-Qa’eda affiliate struggled unsuccessfully to oust Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, even with extensive UK MI 6 backing

2008-2010: Tripoli Embassy DCM Christopher Stevens & USG pressured Qaddafi to release jihadis from prison, who then organized to launch revolution against him

17 Feb 2011: Libyan revolt began w/US, EU, NATO backing

March 2011: Despite repeated Qaddafi efforts to negotiate abdication & exile, Obama White House & Clinton State Dept. insisted on official support to Libyan Muslim Brotherhood & al-Qa’eda militias; a Presidential Intelligence Finding authorized covert assistance & Chris Stevens managed the weapons flow from Qatar to Libyan al-Qa’eda militias

20 Oct 2011: Qaddafi was killed, the Libya MB-led Transitional National Council took over & soon black flag of jihad was seen flying over Benghazi courthouse

Jan-Sep 2012: Security conditions in Benghazi deteriorated drastically, Ansar al-Sharia formed from earlier AQ-MB-linked militias & attacked Western interests, including the US mission

Jan-Sep 2012: AMEMB Tripoli repeatedly requested more security but all requests were denied even after specific intelligence warning of “imminent” attack was received ca. late Aug 2012

Nov 2011-Dec 2012: Kristi Rogers, wife of HPSCI Chm. Mike Rogers & President/CEO of Aegis Defense Services LLC, won large global security contract from DOS under which Welsh Blue Mt. firm was hired in Benghazi, which then sub-contracted w/17 Feb Martyrs Brigade to defend the Special Mission Compound (SMC)

Jan-Sep 2012: CIA Base of Operations Benghazi (Annex) tasked w/recovery of Qaddafi’s looted weapons, especially SAMs; CIA managed weapons collection/shipment on Libyan ships from Benghazi to Turkish ports for overland delivery to AQ-and-MB-dominated Syrian rebels

22 May 2012: J. Christopher Stevens named Ambassador to Libya

July-Sep 2012: “Innocence of Muslims” YouTube film posted to Internet w/few views until producer got Egyptian TV host to play clips on 9 Sep 2012, sparking widespread Muslim outrage

10 Sep 2012: AQ chief Ayman al-Zawahiri posted Libya attack video on jihadi websites

10 Sep 2012: Amb. Stevens traveled from Tripoli to Benghazi w/only 5 DSS officers; Sean Smith, NSA officer, arrived Benghazi from The Hague

11 Sep 2012: Anti-YouTube film protests turned violent vs AMEMB Cairo, elsewhere

11 Sep 2012 (NLT 2000): Ansar al-Shariah set up blockade cordon around SMC neighborhood

11 Sep 2012 (1930-2030): Turkish Consul General Ali Sait Akin dinner meeting w/Amb. Stevens at SMC but sent no warning as he departed through gathering militia forces

11 Sep 2012 (ca 2100): Amb. Stevens & Sean Smith retired for evening; one DSS officer manned the TOC, w/others elsewhere on compound, but w/o their gear or weapons per DOS orders those be kept in separate bldg.

11 Sep 2012 (2123): Dozens of attackers armed w/ARs & RPGs stormed SMC & Alec Henderson, DOS communication officer, contacted Annex, where GRS team immediately grabbed gear, weapons & asked COB permission to go to aid of Amb. Stevens & SMC; COB denied permission, told them “Stand Down” while he tried to reach 17 Feb Martyrs Brigade for help

11 Sep 2012 (2142 BT): Amb. Stevens phoned DCM Greg Hicks at USEMB Tripoli to tell him “We’re being attacked”

11 Sep 2012 (2145 BT): Henderson called Annex again, requested help but COB refused to allow GRS team to go ¾ mi. to SMC; 10 min. later, Henderson called again, said building on fire and if no help arrives, “we’re all gonna die” – but COB refused for 3rd time to allow GRS team to go

11 Sep 2012 (2205 BT): Ty Woods & 5 other GRS members, Libyan national translator decided to ignore COB orders, piled into two Level 7 armored vehicles & drove to the SMC

11 Sep 2012 (shortly after attack began): DSS guard Scott Strickland w/Amb. Stevens, Sean Smith inside safe room, escaped through barred window, but car kept per SOP beneath window for E & E was not there; Stevens & Smith did not follow out window

11 Sep 2012 (1600 EST/2200 LT): Unarmed Predator drone diverted from Derna mission to Benghazi by AFRICOM J-3, Director of Operations

11 Sep 2012 (by 1622EST/2222 BT): DoS Ops Center, SecDef Panetta, Chm JCS Gen. Dempsey, all combatant commands including AFRICOM CMDR Ham all were informed that US mission in Benghazi was under attack by scores of armed men; Panetta, Dempsey met w/Pres. Obama as UnderSecState Patrick Kennedy refused request to send FEST to Libya while SecState Clinton phoned CIA Director David Petraeus to coordinate

11 Sep 2012 (2200+ BT): GRS team cleared SMC of attackers, located & removed Sean Smith’s body from inside one building still on fire. Also located & escorted out 6 persons including DSS guards found hiding in safe rooms. Unable to locate Stevens. DSS guards told them 17 February Martyrs Brigade guards opened SMC gates to attackers, then either fled or joined in attack.

11 Sep 2012 (2350 BT): CIA GRS arrived back at Annex under heavy fire, took up positions on rooftops, repelled multiple waves of attackers while remaining in constant secure communication over emergency channels w/WDC

11 Sep 2012 (2330 TT): Former Navy SEAL Glenn Doherty, 2 members SST, 2 USMC departed Tripoli in leased C-130, arriving Benghazi airport ca 0130 on 12 Sep 2012, where they were delayed by Libya Shield jihadis for 3 hrs. before getting to the Annex

11 Sep 2012 (1915 EST/0115 BT): U.S. DOD Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash sent email to DOS leadership, immediately offering “forces that could move to Benghazi” – “we have identified the forces that could move to Benghazi. They are spinning up as we speak.” F-16 jets at Aviano AFB, 130-man USMC team at Sigonella AFB, 10th Group SF in Croatia all available, ready to go, never given “Go” order, possibly told to Stand Down, an order that could only come from Commander-In-Chief.

11 Sep 2012, (0200 TT/ca 2000 EST): DCM Greg Hicks spoke by phone w/SecState Clinton & advisors, told them it was terrorist attack, video a “non-event” in Libya but SecState Clinton next on phone w/President, then issued DOS press release blaming YouTube video for attack; she withheld cross-border authority for rescue

12 Sep 2012 (0100 BT): Amb. Stevens’ body found at SMC by Libyan casuals/looters, taken to Benghazi Medical Center where doctor tried to revive him, to no avail

12 Sep 2012 (0430 BT): Tripoli rescue team arrived CIA Annex, joined fight; Doherty took up position on one Annex building rooftop while others stayed below.

12 Sep 2012 (0500 BT): Final Ansar al-Shariah attack w/mortar; Ty Woods, Glenn Doherty killed on roof; DSS agent David Ubbin, GRS Mark Geist (“Oz”) gravely injured

12 Sep 2012 (ca. 0530 BT): Libyan rescue team arrived, attack ended, survivors plus bodies of Stevens & Smith departed Benghazi on a Libyan C-130 plus the leased C-130 from Tripoli; no official US forces ever sent, no official USG help ever arrived at Benghazi entire night

That very day, the official White House/State Department/CIA cover-up began & continues to this day. Multiple Congressional investigations, the State Department’s Accountability Review Board (ARB), and Rep. Trey Gowdy’s Select Committee on Benghazi all have failed to explain why the U.S. supported Libyan al-Qa’eda & Muslim Brotherhood to overthrow Qaddafi at a time when he was an ally against AQ in N Africa, why the U.S. facilitated gun-running to al-Qa’eda in both Libya (2011) and Syria (2012), why the Special Mission Compound in Benghazi was stripped of desperately-needed security, why the Obama administration failed to pre-position forces even in the face of multiple warnings, and why the Obama White House to this day leads an official cover-up about the true cause of the attacks against the U.S. mission in Benghazi as well as its failure to even attempt a rescue of beleaguered mission personnel there that resulted in the deaths of four Americans, the loss of the mission, and the descent of Libya into an utterly chaotic failed state that now threatens the entire region and even Europe.

  • 4 Sep 12: Film producer, ex-pat Egyptian Coptic Christian (Morris Sadek?) phoned al Youm al Sabaa (Seventh Day) daily newspaper in WDC area & emailed copy of film trailer
  • 6 Sep 12: Gamel Girgis wrote 3-para article, calling movie ‘shocking’
  • 8 Sep 12: ‘other newspapers’ began running the story & al Youm al Sabaa ran a follow-up
  • 8 Sep 12: Gama’at al-Islamiyya & EIJ jointly issued statement threatening to burn down Embassy unless Blind Sheikh released
  • 9 Sep 12: Arabic-language forum posted statement inciting Egyptians [O, sons of Egypt!] to target the U.S. Embassy, indicating “U.S. Embassy shouldn’t remain in Egypt” until Blind Sheikh released
  • 9 Sep 12: al-Nas Egyptian TV host Khaled Abdullah aired clip of “Innocence of Muslims”, invited outrage
  • 9 Sep 12: al-Azhar Mufti condemned clip for ‘insulting the prophet’
  • Facebook pages appeared, calling for 9/11 protests; callers asked US Emb, which was clueless about video
  • 11 Sep 12 : CNN Nic Robertson outside Cairo Embassy interviewing protesters who want Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman (Blind Sheikh) released – including one-on-one with Mohamed al-Zawahiri – violence broke out immediately afterwards
  • CNN began to push false film narrative
  • 11 Sep 12 : Protests break out ( > 3 dozen countries 13-29 Sep – YouTube clip eventually > 17m hits)
  • Cairo : Embassy perimeter breached, US flag torn down, burned, black flag of jihad raised in its place
  • Cairo Embassy tweeted its apologies
    • “We condemn the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims”
  • 13 Sep 12: Obama phoned Morsi about protests, need to protect US Embassy Cairo
  • 11 Sep 12: Military assault on Benghazi base began 2140 (Annex security team says it was 2123) that night – there was no demonstration or protest
  • Staff, guards knew something up since morning
  • Ran out of phone cards by 0920
  • PAO Smith blogged “if we don’t die tonight”
  • Letters to Libyan FoMin, Benghazi police chief
  • Ansar al-Shariah setting up outside hours before
  • Stevens oblivious? Dinner mtng. w/Turkish ConGen, then on phone w/US MD for next am mtng.
  • Phone calls, cables, aerial drone all live time
  • Tripoli CIA rescue team couldn’t get to Benghazi hospital due to AAS outside

 

USG OFFICIAL & MB VIDEO NARRATIVE

  • 11 Sep 12 (2200+ ET): SecState Clinton spoke by phone w/President Obama
  • 11 Sep 12 (2208 ET): SecState Clinton issued a statement saying, “Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet.”
  • 11 Sep 12 (2312 ET): SecState Clinton sent email (Subject line: ‘Re: I’m in my office’) to daughter Chelsea that said “Two of our officers were killed in Benghazi by an Al-Qaeda-like group…”
  • 12 Sep 12 (1250 ET): Sid Blumenthal sent SecState Clinton a briefing that stated “a senior security officer told Libyan president el-Magariaf that the attacks on that day were inspired by what many devout Libyan viewed as a sacrilegious internet video on the prophet Mohammed originating in America.”
  • 12 Sep 12 (1300 ET): Unknown sender sent email to SecState Clinton. It contained a link to a Max Blumenthal (son of Sid Blumenthal) blog post about Steve Klein connecting the YouTube video to right-wing extremists, including “Robert Spencer, Pamela Geller, and Daniel Pipes.” Post no longer online because Maxblumenthal.com was taken down, but can also be viewed here. Bethany Stotts (AIM) has PDF copy of it if that one is also taken down. Sender’s digital signature same as on October 15, 2012 Sidney Blumenthal It states, “Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID.”
  • 12 Sep 12 (1411 ET): SecState Clinton requested this blog entry be printed
  • 12 Sep 12: Obama in Rose Garden: “no act of terror…”
  • 12 Sep 12 (1806 EST): Beth Jones, acting assistant secretary of state for Near East, sentemail to top State Department official: “[T]he group that conducted the attacks, Ansar al-Sharia, is affiliated with Islamic extremists.”
  • 12 Sep 12 (1816 ET): Note sourced to Tyler Drumheller, w/sender redacted, forwarded to SecState Clinton. Comes from same email signature & claims that Libyan government blaming Cairo video & that “immediate events were set in motion by a statement made by a Muslim Cleric in Egypt saying that the internet film was going to be shown across the United States on September 11 in an effort to insult Muslims on the anniversary of the attacks on the New York World Trade Center in 2001.”

o    Examination of Blumenthal’s emails, as leaked by hacker Guccifer, shows that reports sent by Blumenthal were gathered by Drumheller.

  • 12 Sep 12 (2326 ET): SecState Clinton wrote to Jake Sullivan “We should get this [Drumheller note] around asap.”
  • 12 Sep 12 (2330 ET): Clinton forwarded to top aide Jake Sullivan email briefing rec’d that morning from Sid Blumenthal about report to Libyan president el-Magariaf that blamed YouTube video, with the words, “More info.”
  • 13 Sep 12: Jay Carney: “”The protests we’re seeing around the region are in reaction to this movie…”
  • September 13, 2012, Hillary Clinton metwith Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad-Eddine Al-Othmani. She condemned what she called the “disgusting and reprehensible” anti-Muslim video and the violence that it triggered.
  • 14 Sep 12 (0930 ET): SecState Clinton held meeting w/Susan Rice
  • 14 Sep 12: Jay Carney “protests were in reaction to a video”
  • 14 Sep 12 (1415 ET): SecState Clinton attended transfer of remains ceremony. She told Tyrone Woods’ father, Charles Woods,“We’re going to have that person arrested and prosecuted that did the video.”
  • 14 Sep 12 (1832 ET): Sidney Blumenthal sent SecState Clinton memo which states, “In addition, he stated in private that Morsi and al-Katany spoke with Libyan President Mohammed Yussef el Magariaf, and they had all agreed that military and security officials in Egypt and Libya will cooperate in an effort to track links between the violence in Cairo and Benghazi.” (SecState Clinton response that it should be printed dated 23 Sep 12)
  • 14 Sep 12 (1833 ET): DoS Victoria Nuland notified re CIA talking points
  • 14 Sep 12 (NLT 1739 ET): Jake Sullivan included in process
  • 14 Sep 12 (2124 ET): Nuland refers to “issues” the “building leadership” has with the talking points. Sends email to Sullivan at same time
  • 14 Sep 12 (2125 ET): Sullivan indicates he spoke w/Tommy Vietor & talking points would be addressed next day.
  • 15 Sep 12: CIA Acting Director Michael Morell made massive edits to talking points. Sullivan’s name appears on the page
  • Per Judicial Watch email: at Secure Video Teleconference (SVTS), “Morell noted that these points were not good and he had taken a heavy editing hand to them. He noted that he would be happy to work with Jake Sullivan and Rhodes to develop appropriate talking points. McDonough, on Rhode’s behalf, deferred to Sullivan. It was agreed that Jake would work closely with the intelligence community (within a small group) to finalize points on Saturday that could be shared with HPSCI.”
  • 15 Sep 12: Jake Sullivan worked w/UN Amb. Susan Rice to prep her for next day Sunday talk shows. From Judicial Watch: “I spoke to Jake immediately after the SVTS andnoted that you were doing the Sunday morning shows and would need to be aware of the final posture that these points took. He committed to ensure that we were updated in advance of the Sunday  I specifically mentioned Erin Pelton as the one coordinating your preparations for the shows and also strongly encouraged him to loop in Rexon during the process.”
  • 16 Sep 12: Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf told Bob Shieffer on “Face the Nation”: “…this leaves us with no doubt that this was preplanned, determined—pre-meditated months ago, and they were planning this criminal act since their arrival”
  • 16 Sep 12: Amb. Susan Rice on 5 Sunday talk shows, including “Face the Nation,” directly after Libyan president
  • “we do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned”
  • “What happened in Cairo, in Benghazi, in many other parts of the region was a result – a direct result of a heinous and offensive video”
  • 16 Sep 12:  Sullivan monitored Susan Rice’s appearances.
  • 16 Sep 12 (1221 ET): Email states, “But she did make clear our view that this started spontaneously and then evolved. The only troubling sentence relates to the investigation, specifically: ‘And we’ll see when the investigation unfolds whether what was — what transpired in Benghazi might have unfolded differently in different circumstances.’”
  • Rice’s comments: “In Cairo, as you know, a few hours earlier, there was a violent protest that was undertaken in reaction to this very offensive video that was disseminated. We believe that folks in Benghazi, a small number of people came to the embassy to — or to the consulate, rather, to replicate the sort of challenge that was posed in Cairo. And then as that unfolded, it seems to have been hijacked, let us say, by some individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons, weapons that as you know in — in the wake of the revolution in Libya are — are quite common and accessible. And it then evolved from there.”
  • 16 Sep 12 (1439): SecState Clinton’s response to Meet the Press transcript of Susan Rice’s appearance has been redacted by State Department
  • 18 Sep 12: Jay Carney “…it was the video that caused the unrest in Cairo, and the video and the unrest in Cairo that helped — that precipitated some of the unrest in Benghazi…”
  • 19 Sep 12: Jay Carney “do not yet have indication that it was pre-planned”
  • 19 Sep 12: Matt Olson, NCTC to Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joe Lieberman on whether the attack was a terrorist attack: “They were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy.”
  • 20 Sep 12: Jay Carney admits terrorism
  • 20 Sep 12: Obama at Univision town hall meeting “”What we do know is that the natural protests that arose because of the outrage over the video were used as an excuse by extremists to see if they can also directly harm U.S. interests.”
  • 21 Sep 12: SecState Clinton admits terror and after that, post-UN speech, video narrative was abandoned
  • 28 Sep 12: Film producer Mark Basseley Youssef arrested, sentenced to 1 yr. in jail for “probation violations”

 

US MB Responses

  • 12 Sep 12: Emails obtained by Judicial Watch in late June 2015 show communication between SecState Clinton’s Chief of Staff Huma Abedin (Muslim Brotherhood connections) and Rashad Hussain about an article discussing how “American Muslim leaders” (MB) were tying the YouTube video to the Benghazi attack.
  • 17 Sep 12: The American Muslim website – Tariq Ramadan

http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/an-appeal-to-the-conscience-of-muslims

  • “…After the Danish cartoons, the Dutch video Fitna and several low-grade irritants, a short, crudely executed — and scrupulously insulting — film has inflamed deep-seated resentment. Several hundreds of furious demonstrators gathered in front of the American Embassy in Cairo and the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. In the confusion and violence, a US Ambassador and three diplomats were killed.’
  • ‘The violent reactions to the insults uttered against the Prophet [PBUH] have driven many Muslims to behaviours far removed from the principles of Islam.’
  • ‘But behind the celebration of freedom of speech hides the arrogance of ideologists and well-fed racists who feed off the multiform humiliation of Muslims and to demonstrate the clear “superiority” of their civilisation or the validity of their resistance to the “cancer” of retrograde Islam. In criticising this ideological stance there can be no compromise either.’
  • ISNA statement condemning ‘depicting Prophet Muhammad….in a very profane manner’
  • ‘condemn the creation of such a hateful video, and we also call for an end to support for such mechanisms of hatred and bigotry’
  • “…nothing justifies violent acts…”
  • MPAC condemns attacks on US Embs Cairo, Benghazi
  • ‘The attacks come after a low-budget movie on YouTube called “Muhammad” incited anger by depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a demeaning and degrading manner.’
  • CAIR issued a video aimed at demonstrators in Nigeria “It is clear that the motive behind the film is to enrage Muslims and to display a hatred of Islam’ appealing for calm
  • ICNA appealed for calm and added: “We also appeal to the larger American public to be wary of such attempts by individuals and groups, who in most cases have foreign ties, engaging in such hateful projects that not only endanger American and others’ lives overseas, but also incite hate attacks against minorities in America as well.”
  • Also to speak 19 Oct 12 – UW-Madison – MSA event on “Islamophobia”

 

UN Speeches

  • 25 September 2012: Obama’s UN speech cited YouTube film multiple x
  • US president bowed to Islamic Law on slander: “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam”
  • “Voices of tolerance that rally vs….blasphemy” – !!
  • 25 September 2012: Pakistani PM Ali Zardari
  • “The international community must not become silent observers and should criminalize such acts that destroy the peace of the world and endanger world security by misusing freedom of expression”
  • 26 September 2012 : Morsi’s UN speech explicitly rejected free speech, implied speech causes violence, emphasized UN responsibility to ‘address’ speech that causes violence
  • “UNGA as well as UNSC has the principle responsibility in addressing this phenomenon that is starting to have implications that clearly affect international peace & security”
  • “Egypt respects freedom of expression” but “one that is not used to incite hatred against anyone. One that is not directed toward one specific religion…”
  • “The obscenities that I have referred to that were recently released as part of an organized campaign against Islamic sanctities are unacceptable” (YouTube video)
  • “We reject this. We cannot accept it,” Morsi said, his voice thin with anger. “We will not allow anyone to do this by word or deed.”
  • “We have a responsibility in this international gathering to study how we can protect the world from instability and hatred”
  • 28 September 2012: Turkish FoMin Ahmet Davutoglu
  • “Unfortunately, Islamophobia has also become a new form of racism like anti-Semitism. It can no longer be tolerated under the guise of freedom of expression. Freedom does not mean anarchy”
  • 29 September 2012: OIC SecGen Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu spoke to OIC FoMins at UN Hqs
  • Annual Coordination meeting of OIC FoMins held on sidelines of UNGA session in NYC adopted declaration condemning the sacrilegious act of releasing the defamatory video
  • Mtng had been postponed from June – to follow orchestrated events of the summer?
  • Blamed Benghazi attack on film: ‘…serious consequences of abusing the principle of freedom of expression…’
  • Called for ‘adopting measures to criminalize incitement to imminent violence based on religion or belief’
  • 29 Sep 12 AP Interview spoke even more directly, Issued thinly-veiled threats
  • Issued thinly-veiled threats:

“If the Western world fails to understand the sensitivity of the Muslim world, then we are in trouble…Such provocations pose “a threat to international peace and security and the sanctity of life.”

“You have to see that there is a provocation. You should understand the psychology of people who revere their prophet and don’t want people to insult him.”

 

USG – OIC Relationship Continues

  • 18 Nov 12: OIC website posted notice about Mon 19 Nov 12 OIC Symposium, ‘Defamation Acts vs Islam: Conflict Dimensions & Perspectives of Co-existence between Islam and the West’ – to be attended by Anne Casper, US ConGen Jeddah
  • Report from Symposium: Casper said best antidote to offensive speech is more speech

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20121120143418

  • 18 Nov 12: Screen save/report: Patrick Poole, PJ Media – OIC removed ref to Casper attending
  • 28 Nov 12: Egyptian Judge Salif al Nasr Soliman handed down death sentences
  • FL pastor Terri Jones & 7 expat Egyptian Coptic Christians for involvement with film
  • Charges: Insulting the Islamic religion
  • USG, president, SecState all silent

The West Can Defeat ISIS – But What Comes Next?

French President François Hollande is making the rounds of the world’s capitals, jet setting between London, Washington and Moscow with several meetings in-between.

He is engaged in a full-throttle effort to convince leaders of a plain and simple plan. Immediately eliminate the Islamic State that’s claimed responsibility for the massacre of 130 innocent men, women and children in Paris. That the jihadist state needs to go is not in dispute. It is creating chaos and mayhem throughout the Middle East, parts of Africa and beyond. ISIS is an aggressively metastasizing cancer that threatens Europe and North America.

Before a global coalition follows the French headfirst into this Indiana-sized caliphate located in the former Iraq and Syria, however, we need to answer questions related to competing political and territorial concerns.

The last time the U.S. led from behind the French, the message was also seemingly plain and simple. Remove Muammar Gaddafi by aiding, abetting and arming Libya’s al-Qaeda militias and the country will take care of itself as the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood assumes power.

History proved them disastrously wrong. Libya quickly collapsed into a failed state with Gaddafi’s massive munitions stockpiles – and very likely some of the weapons and training that NATO gave to the Libyan jihadis opposed to Gaddafi – finding their way into Syria to form the early core of ISIS.

Indeed, arguments could be made that none of the interventions by the West in the Middle East and northern Africa turned out well. The common lesson learned in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya is that nothing is as simple as it looks. Every situation is difficult with many different considerations that all carry grave ramifications.

Let’s examine all of the intended outcomes as well as the possible unintended consequences of current decisions.

Whether we like it or not, ISIS currently plays a role in the balancing act between Shia and Sunni in the Middle East. What happens to the equilibrium once it is removed from the equation?

Do the U.S. and Europe propose to formalize the Shia crescent of dominance from Tehran, through Baghdad to Damascus, ending in Beirut? Russia is the coalition’s primary benefactor, so the axis now also includes Moscow. Is this how the West envisions that part of the world coalescing? Or does the West see some other as-yet undefined coalition of Sunni forces filling the void? How would U.S. allies such as Israel, Jordan and Turkey respond to a Shia crescent?

Have the leaders responsible thought about possible contingencies, and how to achieve better outcomes?

Have we considered that the very rise of ISIS, with broad support from local Sunni states, was itself a reaction to the removal of Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi army as the only credible counterweight to the Shiite rulers in Tehran? These states, from Saudi Arabia to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, will and must have a say in what happens next. They will not allow a nuclear-armed Iranian hegemony to expand unchallenged. They recognize that the U.S. has been an unreliable ally at best, as it facilitated the overthrow of Sunni regimes in Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Yemen and allowed for the advancement of Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities.

Further, the Middle East battleground is crowded with competing ethnic, sectarian and tribal interests, most of which harbor jihadist sympathies. So, with which should the U.S. ally itself against ISIS: the al-Qaeda affiliate, Jabhat al-Nusra? The Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sham? Are we helping Bashar al-Assad cling to power by fighting side-by-side with Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp? What about our relationship with Vladimir Putin’s Russia?

The Obama administration has already demonstrated its proclivity to side with the wrong party – al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood – in Libya and Egypt. We should not allow ourselves to become drawn into such mistakes again, especially when the ability of the West, Russia and Iran to fully destroy ISIS – or its jihadist ideology – is not entirely clear right now.

We need to think of this as a game of chess in which leaders strategize three to four steps ahead into a future without ISIS. Current decisions will have a domino effect on subsequent outcomes.

More often than not, we are playing soccer of the worst kind, the bunch ball sort in which we watched our children all at once chase the ball and try to kick it downfield at the same time with little success. It is such a sad but true comparison, but how else do you explain losing the war after more than 14 years of endless battles since 9/11?

Lessons from the Libyan Quagmire

The fledgling internationally recognized Libyan government is very particular about who can come and go through eastern Libya. That is at least at the few ports remaining under its control, including Tobruk and Labraq.

Reuters reported yesterday that the Libyan government has added Yeminis, Iranians, and Pakistanis to the list of foreign nationals whom they forbid from entering the country for fear of jihadist fighters migrating to join the ranks of groups like Ansar al Shariah Libya (ASL), and the local Islamic State affiliate Majlis Shura Shabab al-Islam (the Islamic Youth Shura Council). That list already prohibited travel of Bangladeshis, Palestinians, Syrians and Sudanese.

The Sudanese earned their place on the list due to the government of Sudan’s support for militias in Libya. Sudan appears to provide weapons and assistance to both Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaedabacked groups as well as Islamic State.

To make matters more confused, Sudanese president Omar al Bashir agreed to join Egyptian president El Sisi in supporting the official Libyan government against the very proxies Sudan has been arming since October of last year.

In part due to the triple-game played by Sudan as a weapons supplier for IS and AQ and diplomatic investor in Libyan stability, it seems that everyone in Libya can get weapons except the UNembargoed Libyan government.

While the Arab League has promised to help the Libyan government fight Islamic State by committing a joint Arab force led by Egypt, that plan remains in the early stages. Meanwhile IS in Libya is receiving re-enforcements from Boko Haram and issuing new strategic declarations that Libya represents their strategic gateway to Europe.

One thing al Qaeda, IS, and their Sudanese backers all have in common in Libya is that the U.S. administration refuses to vigorously confront any of them. While that is not a shocking development in the pattern of this administration’s counter-terrorism policies, it is a severe disconnect from the stated goals of the U.S. war against the Qaddafi government, which had been cooperating with the U.S. in fighting Al Qaeda.

It was a hair-on-fire ‘responsibility to protect’ policy that pushed the U.S. into an ill-conceived military effort which allowed jihadists to take root in Libya. It did not create the stable Arab Spring-birthed democracy to fight terror that we were promised. To the extent that there is government that the U.S. could work with against terrorism, the U.S. has preferred to force it into negotiations with the very terrorist-aligned militias seeking its overthrow.

If there’s one lesson to be learned from the vexing quagmire that is Libya, it may be the implications it has for the Iran Deal. Iran deal supporters are already suggesting that the deal may be the basis for a new round of negotiations that could disarm North Korea.

But as Doug Bandow at the National Interest has noted, the lesson of Libya is never cooperate with the United States, and never ever agree to disarm.

Qaddafi’s fate at the hands of the U.S. backed uprising, and the U.S.’s later dealings with the official Libyan Government sends a clear message to every tin-pot dictator; don’t ever let a U.S. agreement get in the way of acquiring weapons, particularly nuclear weapons.

4 Indian Teachers Detained in Islamic State-Held Territory

Four Indian men were taken hostage late Wednesday night at a checkpoint in Libya while attempting to leave Libya and return to India via Tunisia. The checkpoint, about 50km outside of Sirte, was located in territory controlled by the Islamic State. The men had all previously taught at Sirte University in Libya. Last July, the Indian government issued an “advisory asking its citizens to leave Libya”.

Friday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that two of the men who were detained, Laxmikant and Vijay Kumar, have “been released” and “brought back safely to the University of Sirte”. There was hope that the other two still held captive would be released within a day or two of their capture. However, as of today, there are no new developments regarding the two men still detained, Balram Kishan and T Gopikrishna. Reports indicated that at least some of the militants were former students at the University, and this may also have played a role in the decision to release the men. Additionally the captured teachers were reportedly asked to provide their religious affiliation. It’s unclear if their religious identity also played any role to the decision to release the two.

There is no official confirmation yet as to which group was behind this detention, however, the two men who were released said they were held by an Islamic State-affiliated militia.

Libya was plunged into chaos following the NATO-backed overthrow of former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi by Libyan militias, which included Al Qaeda, in 2011. As previously mentioned in Free Fire, the Islamic State has taken great advantage of this situation, and has made advances despite the presence of forces from the internationally recognized Libyan government, now located in Tobruk after being ousted by the rebel Muslim Brotherhood-linked Fajr Libya (a.k.a. “Libyan Dawn”) militia, who are located in Tripoli, Libya’s capital.

Sirte, Gaddafi’s former hometown, in particular has been a target of IS action in Libya. IS seized Sirte on May 21 of this year, following over a day of fighting. Capturing Sirte was a significant win for Islamic State members because of the city’s location in central Libya and along a major highway that connects the east to the west.

Also, on May 28 of this year, Islamic State fighters raided the civilian airbase Al-Qaradabiya near Sirte. This event raised concern about IS’s growing presence in Libya, especially in regards to neighboring countries. Italy in particular has serious concerns about Libya’s condition, given its proximity to the war-torn country. Libya provides the Islamic State several strategic opportunities including opening a second front against Egypt and opening trafficking routes into West Africa where IS has affiliates in Mali and Nigeria. It also opens up the possibility of further expansion into Europe through Italy, utilizing the the European Commission’s refugee system.

It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, officially claims responsibility for these actions and if they provide insight into the motives behind the detention.

Deal for United Libyan Government Signed … by Some

On July 11, representatives from the internationally recognized government of Libya and from various factions that create the Islamist opposition government signed an agreement to create a united government for one year, though the opposition government itself boycotted the agreement. The internationally recognized government is called the General National Congress (GNC) while the government controlled by the conglomeration of Islamist groups collectively known as Fajr Libya (Libyan Dawn) is known as the new General National Congress (new GNC).

In 2011, the longtime Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who had suppressed Islamist groups, was killed. The country held elections for the GNC in 2012 and in 2014, and numerous Islamist groups, which were allowed to participate in politics for the first time, participated in both elections. In 2012, a coalition of secular groups won the largest voting bloc in the GNC, though a combination of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi parties won a large bloc as well. However, the Islamist groups lost a lot of seats in the 2014 elections. Following those elections, Fajr Dawn forced the internationally recognized government out of the capital of Tripoli and created a rival government. Since then, the country has been torn apart by fighting and has seen an increase in Islamic State presence.

The rival governments have been engaged in negotiations for months. The deal signed on July 11 has the support of the internationally recognized government and various small political parties and civil groups. Though some member groups of Fajr Libya were among those to sign the deal, officials representing the entirety of the new GNC failed to give their support to the agreement or to even go to Skhirat, Morocco, where negotiations have been held. The rival government says that the deal is not “satisfactory” and requires “modifications” before it would be willing to sign on. Nevertheless, many see the preliminary agreement as a positive step toward peace in a war-torn country.

Among those praising the agreement were the European Union and Italy’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi. In 2015 alone, thousands of African immigrants have entered Europe through Italy, many coming from Libya in an attempt to escape the violence and chaos. A stable government in Libya would have the ability to combat human smuggling, which would likely lead to a decline in the number of immigrants seeking political asylum in Europe. As terrorist organizations are among those who profit from the lucrative human-smuggling business, a stable Libya could contribute to counterterrorism efforts with no extra effort from the West by taking away a source of income from these groups.

Additionally, terrorist groups, including the well-resourced Al Qaeda and Islamic State, have been disguising their fighters as refugees and sending them into Europe through various human smuggling routes, including those coming from Libya. If Libya were to become more stable, it would theoretically be able to crack down on human trafficking. These groups would therefore have a much more difficult time sending members into Europe to contribute to their recruitment efforts and attacks in the West.

Despite the many positive steps toward peace that may arise from a deal, many fail to realize just how much the internationally recognized government of Libya has been manipulated. As previously stated, Libya overthrew Gaddafi in 2011 and held its first democratic elections in 2012. In those elections, the Islamist groups legitimately won power and became the Libyan parliament’s second-largest voting bloc. However, when they were badly defeated in the next democratic elections, held in 2014, they withdrew completely from the government to stage a revolt under the Fajr Libya militia coalition against the newly (legitimately) elected government. By creating a violent and chaotic situation in the months following the election, they forced the internationally recognized, lawfully chosen government into negotiations that have forced a concession of power to political parties that Libyan citizens chose not to elect in the first place.

Furthermore, as the Center for Security Policy has previously stated, “while they may have differences, Islamist forces, whether Libyan Dawn, Al Qaeda’s affiliate Ansar al-Sharia, or the Islamic State, all seek to impose Shariah law, and are inherently anti-democratic, and diametrically opposed to U.S. interests.” Though some smaller Islamist parties have agreed to this power-sharing deal with the secular, recognized government,  the opposition government’s refusal to sign the agreement until it receives even more undeserved concessions completely undermines the democratic process put in place after Gaddafi. These Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi-backed opposition parties do not believe in sharing power, turning to violence when they lose power and using negotiations to gain the upper hand in order to undemocratically impose Sharia, rather than to reach a compromise with the secular government. Should they lose again in future elections, there is no guarantee that the country will not similarly dissolve into violence.

Tunisia Faces Double-Edged Sword, Terrorism In and Out of it’s Borders

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The Tunisian government has revealed its plans to build a 100 mile long sand wall along its border with Libya in attempt to counter threats from Islamist terrorists. Thirty-eight tourists recently lost their lives when gunman Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire on a popular beach resort in Tunisia. In March, a gunman opened fire in the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, killing 22 people, again mostly tourists. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for both attacks. IS has recently installed bases in Libya, and more than 7,000 Tunisians are suspected to have joined the ranks of IS.

Although Tunisia may benefit from the installation of the border wall, Tunisian officials are failing to see the big picture of their terrorism problem. In part, a major risk is the fact that the shooters were Tunisians who traveled to Libya for jihad training, and reentered Tunisia because visas are not required. This raises the question of how many of the 7,000 reported Tunisian IS militants have or plan to return to Tunisia. In order to properly counter terrorism in Tunisia, the government should first focus on targeting those inside the country who are indoctrinating citizens in order to stop those from leaving to get training. Only then will a wall serve its purpose well, and keep those who have received training out.

Significant risks exist inside Tunisia’s borders including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, who is known to operate out of the lawless mountains in Western Tunisia. In addition, religious and political intolerance still looms even after largely secular President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in 2011 during the Arab Spring.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has stated Tunisia is at war against terrorism. In response, AQIM has warned the Tunisian government that “an open war on Islam and Muslims aimed at pleasing America, France, and Algeria, will be quite costly.” Over the past two years, 34 Tunisian soldiers have been killed by AQIM militants, and scores more have been injured in attacks by the same militants. AQIM has taken advantage of the lawlessness regions of western Tunisia, enabling them to easily smuggle weapons including rocket-propelled grenades into Tunisia’s borders. The smuggled armory has been used in multiple AQIM attacks in Tunisia, including an attack that left four policemen dead.

On July 4, President Essebsi declared a 30-day state of emergency, allowing military forces to combat terrorism however they see fit, and restricting rights such as public assembly. The extended state of emergency emerges at the same time as a new Tunisian counterterrorism bill is being discussed in the northern African country’s parliament. The bill, which was first introduced in March following the Bardo Museum attack, allows for suspects to be help in incommunicado detention for up to 15 days without being taken to a judge, and permits death sentences for those convicted of acts of terrorism that resulted in casualties.

In the wake of Ben Ali’s demise, the Muslim Brotherhood connected Ennahda group served as the interim government. The Ennahda government was alleged to have partnered with the jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia to target its secular opponents, and Tunisia had become a breeding ground for terrorism when the party stepped down in 2014, when Essebsi was elected into office.

Both major terrorist attacks in Tunisia took place after the Tunisia-Libya border was closed to traffic in August. Thus, little confidence can be instilled in the effectiveness of Tunisia’s newest wall to deter terrorism inside the nation.

Jomaa previously explained the Tunsian military is vastly underequipped, and more emphasis needs to be placed on intelligence gathering, and training in order to properly confront terrorism. Tunisia must develop an adequate national security strategy, or as President Essebsi has expressed, Tunisian society could collapse should it face yet another horrific attack by jihadist terrorists.

While a new wall along the Libyan border can help Tunisian officials prevent indoctrinated Tunisians from returning to their home country, Tunisia needs to first combat its internal struggles with terrorism. Because there are concerns related to Tunisia’s ability to protect and secure the wall, the Tunisian government must first halt indoctrination inside its borders to ultimately lessen the influx of jihadis attempting to return from Libya. As many nations around the world are doing, Tunisia must find a way to deter individuals from instilling the warped belief systems of terrorist organizations, such as Ansar al-Sharia and IS, onto its citizens in order to prevent the fleeing to join IS, and returning home to carry out attacks.

Does the killing of top Al Qaeda officials help Islamic State expansion?

The US conducted airstrikes in eastern Libya over the weekend targeting Mokhtar Belmokhtar. A US official said that multiple 500-pound bombs were used, and the Libyan government said that Belmokhtar was one of many killed in the strikes. No definitive proof has been released yet by either the US or by Libya that Belmokhtar has died.

Belmokhtar left his home in Algeria at the age of nineteen to train with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and was very close to Osama Bin Laden. He helped found the Al Qaeda-affiliated group, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), and remained one of its leaders, until he split from the group in August 2013 to form a new group, Al-Murabitoun. He was often considered “a thorn in the side of AQIM’s leadership” due to his tendency to act “as a loose cannon.” Rather than acting in the local interests of AQIM, which has more localized goals than Al Qaeda Central, Belmokhtar declared his allegiance to Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda Central’s leadership. He committed attacks, like the kidnapping of Canadian diplomat Robbie Fowler, without their guidance, even while he still remained a member of the organization and acted in its name.

He gained international notoriety amongst intelligence and security officials after he led an attack against the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in January 2013 that lasted for four days and killed almost forty people, including three Americans. He also led two separate attacks in Niger a few months later; one targeted the French-run uranium production facility in Arlit and the other was against a French military base. The attacks were conducted in response to Niger’s general relationship and cooperation with France. Both his ability to easily travel around Africa and due to poorly-guarded borders and his interest in attacking Western targets have presented issues in the past. They have given him the ability to contribute to Islamic militancy throughout much of northern and Saharan Africa.

Belmokhtar has been proclaimed dead several times in the past. Last April, an Algerian newspaper announced his death, and in 2013, the Chadian Army said it killed him in Mali, and his death would be a huge victory for US counterterrorism efforts in western Africa.

Belmokhtar and Al-Murabitoun are responsible for several recent attacks in the region, including an April bombing of a UN peacekeeper camp. In May, part of Al-Murabitoun pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), although Belmokhtar remained loyal to Al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, leaving the question of whether or not the remainder of his group will join IS if he has actually died. Should the entire group pledge loyalty to IS, its location nestled between current IS holdings in Libya and Boko Haram in Nigeria could create a huge swath of area in northern Africa under IS rule and could force Al-Murabitoun to adjust its tactics to operate more like a state. It would no longer be able to operate in as much secrecy as it would begin to rule over its territory, but it would gain significant power because it would be able to draw from the resources of the people and the land falling under its control. It would also have the ability to return to terrorist tactics if it were to cede control to an invading military force. This makes the group much more difficult to defeat, because it has, essentially, a multiple-contingency plan.

Other groups previously loyal to Al Qaeda have retracted their affiliation and instead pledged allegiance to IS. As senior Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda-affiliated officials are killed, those fighters loyal to their leader but not their organization may be increasingly incentivized to join the ranks of the ever-expanding IS, drawn in by its size and power. The US and its allies must consider the potential that airstrikes, while they can be effective, can lead to unpredictable effects. While the decapitation of Al Qaeda’s older, experienced leadership is good for counterterrorism efforts, it is not a long-term solution in the fight against the organization. The actions of the remainder of Al-Murabitoun that remained loyal to Belmokhtar will be telling.

Forcing Libyan Government to Accept Islamists is a Mistake

Attempts at peace talks and agreements between the UN-recognized Libyan government and the unofficial government, Libya Dawn, have been unproductive in the past. However, another attempt at such agreements began Monday June 8 in Skhirat, Morocco.

The reported goal of these talks is to establish some sort of united, joint government between the two Libyan forces in order to “finally begin effectively addressing the serious problems of the country”.

An International Business Times article released this morning states that, “Libya’s two rival governments, which have been engaged in bitter conflict over the past year, remain at odds over a number of crucial issues as UN sponsored peace talks entered their second phase”. Some of the issues to which the parties can not agree include: an agreement by all combatants to withdraw from Tripoli; the sharing of power with individuals such as the Prime Minister of Libya, Abdullah Thinni, and the “head of Libya’s Armed Forces, General Khalifa Hafter”; and the lack of specific detail in the political agreement’s terminology.

It is no surprise that the two rival governments “engaged in bitter conflict” are unable to come to terms. After the toppling and overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in the 2011 Libyan Civil War, Libya was thrown into chaos and disorder. As a result, in late August of 2014, the Islamist militia Libya Dawn seized the Libyan capital of Tripoli. Here, Libya Dawn destroyed homes and statues, took over the Tripoli International Airport, and violently targeted individuals from specific opposing tribes. The officially recognized Libyan government was forced to relocate to the city of Tobruk in the northeastern part of Libya. The Tobruk government is unlikely to consider allying with its Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated opposition, especially as Tobruk continues to rely on the support of the U.A.E and Egyptian governments, both stridently anti-Brotherhood.

On Wednesday June 10, delegates at the peace talk negotiations are due to travel to Germany to meet a number of European Union foreign ministers and UN Security Council members. It will be interesting to see the language that is used in the meeting, and what pressures, if any, are imposed on which bodies of government.

Since the installation of Libya Dawn and the forced relocation of the official Libyan government, only conflict and collision followed. With such division and disorder, the country is woefully susceptible to the rising numbers of militias, in particular the expansion into Libya by the Islamic State. Already, the Islamic State has been responsible for numerous attacks in Libya, as previously reported on the Free Fire Blog. Massive executions of Christians and the attack on the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli are just a some of IS’ bloody crimes.

The woeful reality of the Libyan situation is that IS is only one of the country’s problems. Thousands of refugees have fled the war-torn country for Europe. This journey has left many dead, and the number of those killed in this dangerous attempt will only continue to increase as insistence on a joint agreement is pursued.

UN Special Representative Bernardino Leon, in an address to all the delegates at the commencement of the talks expressed, in his opinion, the true importance of reaching an agreement: “Nothing you do today can ever reverse the terrible pain inflicted on the people of Libya over the past year but it is within your hand and none but yours, to spare the people of Libya”.

It is time for the US to take his advice. U.S. policy should support the internationally recognized Libyan government in Torbruk, and insist upon the disarmament and disbandment of all militias, including Libyan Dawn.  As Free Fire blog has previously noted, “The problem in Libya is not political; rather it is a security problem…We must disarm the militias and fight against terrorism first”.

The United States must understand that while they may have differences, Islamist forces, whether Libyan Dawn, Al Qaeda’s affiliate Ansar al-Sharia, or the Islamic State, all seek to impose Shariah law, and are inherently anti-democratic, and diametrically opposed to U.S. interests.

Islamic State Seizes Power Plant at Sirte

As of Tuesday, Islamic State fighters seized control of a power plant west of the Libyan city of Sirte after a brief battle with loyalist troops that left three of the loyalist defenders dead. The power plant is responsible for providing much of western and central Libya with power. Islamic State has used the chaos in Libya to their advantage as Libya Dawn battles the legitimate Libyan government. Already the city of Derna is controlled by Islamic State, and Islamic State moved on to besiege and seize part of Sirte in February. Islamic State would later claim to have control of the entire city of Sirte in late May. This unfortunate event comes as the UN tries fruitlessly to convince the legitimate Libyan government and Libya Dawn to come to a cease fire agreement.

It should come without further explanation on how critical control of the power plant is to Libya. It’s possible that Islamic State is taking a page from Al-Qaeda in Yemen. Last year, Al Qaeda militants sabotaged power lines in the Yemeni province of Marib, leaving the entire nation without power for over a day. Attacking power lines is a common strategy used by Yemeni tribesmen as a means to fulfill their demands. It is safe to assume that Islamic State is planning to deny electricity to regions of Libya in order to effectively control regions of the country. Another attack on Pakistan’s overtaxed power grid back in January left most of the south Asian country without electricity. The guerrilla attack was just the most effective of multiple bombings on Pakistani electrical infrastructure. Attacks on soft targets like power lines or power plants are easy to carry out, especially in nations such as Pakistan or Libya, and are economically crippling to an entire region, if not an entire nation.