The consequences of allowing Islamic State to establish a new stronghold in the Libyan city of Sirte continue to grow worse. Not only is Islamic State now poised directly across the Mediterranean from Europe, and not only is it now in a position to threaten or even seize chunks of the Libyan oil production — Islamic State is also now in a position to threaten neighboring states.
On Monday, dozens of extremists attacked the Tunisian town of Ben Gardane located next to the Libyan border. Some 36 of the attackers were killed along with 18 Tunisians, security forces and civilians alike. President Beji Caid Essebsi of Tunisia blamed Libyan-based ISIS extremists. This is evidence that the chaos of Libya continues to spillover and threaten the nascent democracy in neighboring Tunisia, the only success story to emerge from the Arab Spring.
The U.S. indirectly bears some responsibility for this dangerous state of affairs, having helped to topple Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 without doing nearly enough to stabilize Libya afterward. President Obama is trying to ameliorate the consequences of this dereliction of duty by staging air strikes against ISIS targets. Last month, U.S. aircraft bombed the Libyan town of Sabratha, killing a reported 43 people, including an ISIS leader. The U.S. also has reportedly deployed Special Operations Forces to Libya and has gotten permission from Italy to fly armed drones to defend them should they come under attack.
These are positive steps, but it is crucial that the American response not be limited to killing terrorists, who can always be replaced. There is a desperate need to establish a functioning state in Libya that can police its own territory, and that will not happen without active U.S. leadership along with that of our allies.
The United Nations has recognized a new Unity Government in Libya but turning it into a reality will require pressure from the U.S. and other states, using a combination of sanctions and suasion (in the form of weapons and aid deliveries), to force the various Libyan factions to come together. If and when the state comes together, it would make sense to dispatch an international peacekeeping force to help it establish its authority. Italy has been rumored to have offered 5,000 troops for such a force; other nations would need to ante up as well.
For too long, the U.S. and the rest of the West have turned a blind eye to the growing disorder in Libya, repeating the same mistake that they have made in Syria and Yemen. No one wants to intervene in yet another Arab civil war. Unless the U.S. leads an international coalition, however, the situation will only get worse, ISIS will only get stronger, and the threat to nearby states — including European states — will only grow.
