Egypt Libya

J.E.DYER: NOW EGYPT JOINS AIR CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISLAMIC STATE- IN LIBYA……..

Oh, and no help from Obama.

I’ll take any kind of push back against these barbarians from whatever the source doing the pushing.

EXPLOSION IN LBYA

Now Egypt joins the air fight against Islamic State – in Libya

After Islamic State in Libya posted a video showing the beheading of 21 men reported to be Egyptian Christians, the government of Egypt has struck back.

Acting in concert with the recognized government of Libya (the Transitional National Council), in Tripoli, Egypt dispatched strike fighters on 16 February to bomb Islamic State positions and resources in the eastern port city of Derna (sometimes transliterated “Darnah”). Libyan planes are reported to have participated in the strikes.

Note: as this goes to post, I just heard Oliver North claim on Fox that Egypt requested targeting support from the U.S. for these strikes, and didn’t get it.  I’m not sure which is worse: if we didn’t help because we didn’t have good enough intelligence to be of use, or if we didn’t help because the Obama administration judged it to not be in our interest to help.

At any rate.  The IS presence in eastern Libya has been a growing security problem for both Egypt and the national Libyan government in Tripoli since last fall (see here as well).  It has created ugly problems for Libyans locals, who have been treated to plenty of ISIS-style brutality in the months since, including summary beheadings, public lashings, and showy executions in soccer stadiums.

IS’s presence adds to the woes of the struggling Libyan oil industry, which itself is a source of instability for the central Mediterranean. Derna is one of the port cities with oil distribution infrastructure, but – as with Benghazi – its commercial-trade fortunes are subject to political and security concerns.  For one thing, the government in Tripoli doesn’t want tribal rebels exporting Libyan national oil for profit to themselves.  Tripoli also doesn’t want the eastern ports being used to smuggle guerrilla fighters and weaponry, under cover of the legitimate oil trade. …

More here.

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