The United States has conducted manned and unmanned air strikes on the Islamic State stronghold in Sirte, Libya, the Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said Monday. We might have had a situation in which genuine political change could have taken place in a peaceful manner – but at the very least, we would not have created a failed state in which ISIS could metastasize, and where they could take control of a major Mediterranean port like Sirte.
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The strikes were requested by Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) and were authorized by President Barack Obama following a recommendation by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, the Pentagon said.
It was not the first time USA airstrikes targeted ISIS in Libya.
Fayez Serraj, the head of the U.N.-brokered presidency council, said in a televised statement Monday that American warplanes attacked the IS bastion of Sirte, adding that no USA ground forces will be deployed.
Daesh has been taking advantage of the chaos embroiling Libya since the NATO-backed overthrow and death of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
He added: “The US stands with the global community in supporting the GNA as it strives to restore stability and security to Libya”.
The White House said USA assistance to Libya would be limited to air strikes and information sharing.
US officials earlier this year estimated there were as many as 6,000 Islamic State insurgents in Libya, including some who have abandoned Syria. The first USA strike occurred in November. So far, over 350 fighters have died and over 1,500 have been wounded in this campaign which is now stalled.
A few foreign powers have offered support to the GNA’s decision in joining the coalition against IS and also revive the oil production in Libya.
But foreign intervention is politically sensitive, and the GNA has hesitated to make formal requests for help.
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Small teams of Western countries’ special forces have been on the ground in eastern and western Libya for months. However, US officials told local media sources that the US was preparing to take a greater role in the war-torn country, and said that the Pentagon was preparing for a long-term campaign against Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL).
