Egypt 'bombs IS in Libya' after beheadings video

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: BBC

Egypt says it has bombed Islamic State targets in Libya, hours after the group published video showing the apparent beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians.

Earlier, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt had the "right to respond" against IS.

A video emerged on Sunday showing a group wearing orange overalls being forced to the ground and decapitated.

IS militants claim to have carried out several attacks in Libya, which is in effect without a government.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31483631

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Earlier 8/2014

Arab Nations Strike in Libya, Surprising U.S.

Twice in the last seven days, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have secretly launched airstrikes against Islamist-allied militias battling for control of Tripoli, Libya, four senior American officials said, in a major escalation of a regional power struggle set off by Arab Spring revolts.

The United States, the officials said, was caught by surprise: Egypt and the Emirates, both close allies and military partners, acted without informing Washington, leaving the Obama administration on the sidelines. Egyptian officials explicitly denied to American diplomats that their military played any role in the operation, the officials said, in what appeared a new blow to already strained relations between Washington and Cairo.

The strikes in Tripoli are another salvo in a power struggle defined by Arab autocrats battling Islamist movements seeking to overturn the old order. Since the military ouster of the Islamist president in Egypt last year, the new government and its backers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have launched a campaign across the region — in the news media, in politics and diplomacy, and by arming local proxies — to roll back what they see as an existential threat to their authority posed by Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/world/africa/egypt-and-united-arab-emirates-said-to-have-secretly-carried-out-libya-airstrikes.html

[bhikkhu]

1. And somehow its about Obama?

Last edited Mon Feb 16, 2015, 03:49 AM - Edit history (1)

So many stories complain about how we are expected to be the world's policeman and involve ourselves in impossible problems everywhere in the world - Obama over-reach. Then when Egypt responds to the deaths of its own citizens without our permission, that's supposed to be some failure on Obama's part too.

Not that the whole thing over there isn't a terrible situation, but local initiative is much more welcome and likely to move things in a good direction than diplomatic summits, photo-ops, conference calls and word-smithing from the other side of the planet.

...on edit, reading the NYT article more fully, its a pretty balanced and well-researched analysis. A long day (working weekends too) in my little RW town can make a person edgy. I haven't followed the news in Libya or Egypt for awhile, and things seem to have moved fairly quickly in a bad direction. I hope this is a turning point. It would be ideal if this was a turning point where both ISIS were stopped, and where a regional issue were solved by the region itself.

[applegrove]

2. +1. Cults don't understand diplomacy. That involves

Last edited Mon Feb 16, 2015, 08:14 PM - Edit history (1)

compromise. You have to use the military and starve them out economically so they cannot favor their followers with rewards or convince the local people that they can replace government.

[Jesus Malverde]

3. Who mentioned Obama?

[Turborama]

5. I was asking myself the same question n/t

[bhikkhu]

6. The NYT article

Admittedly the Obama-slant isn't front-and-center, though it likely will be on fox. Perhaps I'm over sensitive to the usual its-all-about-us media coverage of world events we tend to get.

I usually read the BBC (as you linked to) for most international news, which is much more likely to provide the local causes and effects and leave off or bending it to some agenda or other.

Didn't mean to jump on you - more an issue with the NYT, which follows how much of the US media operates.

[Turborama]

7. I can't see in the article anything about it being a failure by Obama.

However, I might have missed something you'd like to point to...?

[Jesus Malverde]

8. The NYT article is from last year.

My point was Egypt has been attacking Libya for a while now.

[BrotherIvan]

4. Without our permission??

[riversedge]

10. Libyan planes had bombed targets in Sirte and Bin Jawad......

umm.. Libya is also involved with Egypt in these strikes. Good.


.....Egypt did not give the locations of the air strikes, but a spokesman for Libya's internationally recognised Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni told the BBC that Egyptian jets had taken part in co-ordinated air strikes on Derna.

"Eight strikes have been conducted so far [in Derna]. The plan is to target all IS locations in the country wherever they are," said Mohamed Azazza.

Libyan Air force commander Saqer al-Joroushi told Reuters news agency that Libyan planes had bombed targets in Sirte and Bin Jawad.

Several hours later, the AP news agency quoted unnamed security officials as saying that Egyptian warplanes had again struck Derna.

[riversedge]

11. Libya and Egypt launch air strikes against Isis after militants post beheadings video

Most headlines only include Egypt.


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/15/isis-post-video-allegedly-showing-mass-beheading-of-coptic-christian-hostages

Libya and Egypt launch air strikes against Isis after militants post beheadings video

President Sisi had vowed to ‘avenge the criminal killings’ after release of video purporting to show killing of 21 Christians, believed to be kidnapped Egyptians
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.


Sisi (third right) had warned that Cairo would choose the ‘necessary means and timing to avenge the criminal killings’. Photograph: Unknown/AFP/Getty Images

Jared Malsin, Chris Stephen and agencies in Cairo

Monday 16 February 2015 08.07 EST


Egypt reported that its war planes had struck Isis targets in Libya, shortly after President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi vowed revenge for the release by Isis-affiliated militants of a video of a mass killing of Christians.

A spokesman for the Armed Forces General Command announced the strikes on state radio Monday, marking the first time Cairo had publicly acknowledged taking military action in neighbouring Libya.

The statement said the warplanes targeted weapons caches and training camps before returning safely. It said the strikes were “to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers”.

“Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield that protects them,” it said.

Libya’s air force meanwhile announced it had launched strikes in the eastern city of Darna, which was taken over by an Isis affiliate last year. The announcement, on the Facebook page of the air force chief of staff, did not provide further details.........

[bemildred]

9. I'm not caught by surprise.

Egypt has been preparing to do something about Libya for a while now, and I cannot think of a clearer way for ISIS to say: "Hey, al Sisi, come and get us!", not unlike the burning of the Jordanian pilot as a means to get Jordan into the war.

[elias49]

12. IMO it's about time the mid-east stepped up.

It's their backyard that the savages are in. Every state needs to get in the mix to end ISIL.