A tragic miscalculation by the West
Continuing to talk to Tripoli’s rebel coalition made up of extremists may ultimately lead to Libya’s disintegration
The barbaric terrorist organisation Daesh (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) declared its war on Libya and Egypt last week with its “Message Signed in Blood to the Christian Nation”. If there was ever a time for the West to support the Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah Al Thinni’s democratically-elected, internationally-recognised government in Tobruk, it should have been now.
In an address to the United Nations Security Council on February 18, Libya’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Al Dairi called on the international community to help his country combat Daesh by allowing it to build its national army. Yet, despite this plea to the UN, the British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, asserted: “The problem is that there isn’t a government in Libya that is effective and in control of its territory. There isn’t a Libyan military, which the international community can effectively support.”
The demand from London (reiterated by Washington) for a unity government is something that Libyans will inevitably fail to achieve and just buy Daesh more time to seize Libyan territory. It represents a gross error of judgement by Britain, in particular, which threatened to use its veto in the UN Security Council. In addition to the obvious need for arms to defeat Daesh, there is clearly a requirement by the Libyan Air Force for airlift transport planes and helicopters, if only for humanitarian missions across the length and breadth of the vast country. There is also need for experienced fighters, which can be provided by friendly Arab countries. Moreover, there are requirements for fast patrol craft for maritime surveillance operations. So Libya has no time to waste. In 2013 while attending Idex, the world’ largest defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Colonel Abdul Nasser Busnina, a senior air force officer and prominent leader of the February Revolution four years ago, said: “We have 2,000 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline to defend and six borders with African countries. We need to rebuild our armed forces. The equipment we have is old and in need of repair.” Those words are as true today as they were two years ago.
Moscow’s role
Russia wants to fill the void left in Libya by the Americans and the British and supply arms directly to Tobruk, something Moscow is already doing indirectly through Egypt. This will help Russia widen its sphere of influence throughout the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. The US and UK must alter their policies so that North Africa remains in the western camp or alternatively resign themselves to cede a part of North Africa to Russia and certain European Union countries commercially, politically and militarily.
It is a tragic miscalculation by the West to continue to talk to Tripoli’s rebel Libya Dawn coalition, made up of extremists. This is compounded by Britain and America’s decision to reject the Libyan government’s plea for a lifting of the arms embargo to fight Daesh. It means that the consequence of their trying to impose a ‘unity government’ that effectively tries to coerce the existing democratically elected Tobruk government to resign, has resulted in Al Thinni’s government and the House of Representatives pulling out altogether from the United Nations Support Mission in Libya peace talks. This could ultimately be the spark that starts a process of partitioning the country into two states. The blame would fall squarely on the shoulders of the West if that occurs.