ISIS comes to Libya

[Seamus_L]

Fighters loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are now in complete control of the city of Derna, population of about 100,000, not far from the Egyptian border and just about 200 miles from the southern shores of the European Union. edition.cnn.com/2014/11/18/world/isis-libya/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

 

[gilliam]

I suspect Egypt will do something about this

 

[Valdemar]

I suspect Egypt will do something about this

Ah…the Broken Reed to the rescue…

 

[7_Sorrows]

I for one would like to see ISIS wiped off the face of the earth!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ah…the Broken Reed to the rescue…

Egypt has its own complement of Islamists. But it also has a sense of nationhood. ISIS is about as “anti-national” as can be imagined. Like Iran, it is an “empire builder” by intent.

I am not sure what the conditions would be that would be sufficient to cause Egypt to attack ISIS in Libya, but Al-Sisi certainly knows what they are.

 

[chero23]

I suspect Egypt will do something about this

As long as their defeated.

 

[Holly3278]

I really hope that somebody does something about ISIS in Libya. They need to be eliminated. ISIS is spreading really fast and that is definitely not a good thing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I really hope that somebody does something about ISIS in Libya. They need to be eliminated. ISIS is spreading really fast and that is definitely not a good thing.

ISIS is a very weak force. It is only because its opponents in the neighborhood are so weak that they are able to do what they have done. Without western forces on the ground, it will be very difficult for any of the neighbors to oppose at least ISIS more immediate ambitions.

Some of the weakness of the opponents is not necessarily in their military, but in their politics. Egypt could crush ISIS, but the Egyptian military might be very reluctant to commit armed forces to such an effort because of all the Islamists they have at home.