Editorial: Arming Libya example of bad military plan

The recent decision by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and more than 20 other nations to allow arms sales to Libya’s fledgling government to fend off the Islamic State and rival militant groups is not only a risky move in terms of world security, it’s another example of the perils of murky U.S. foreign policy.

Libya’s internationally recognized but shaky Government of National Accord, beset by an increasingly emboldened Islamic State, was granted exemptions to a U.N. arms embargo, and can now buy military equipment. But the fractious nature of Libya’s poorly trained military offers scant assurance that those arms will not wind up in the hands of ISIL or other jihadists. The situation facing Libya is not unlike that plaguing U.S. efforts to build a strong Sunni opposition in Syria and Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry readily admits the U.N. is striking “a delicate balance” as it works to shore up Libya’s efforts to not only develop a capable military, but to regain control over state institutions like its central bank and national oil company.

But it’s important to remember this mess was caused by the Obama administration’s decision to take down Moammar Gadhafi with no plan to follow, apparently not having learned a thing from George W. Bush’s foray into Iraq.

Once again: great military followed by no plan.

Arming Libya, may in fact be the only real choice here, but it is yet another perilous venture necessitated by the Obama administration’s inability to develop a cohesive foreign policy and to outline an end-game for its overseas interventions.

— Albuquerque Journal