Press Association/Hussein Malla. All rights reserved.Great Britain and Italy are preparing to send ground troops to Libya. With little media attention and even less public debate, up to 6,000 British and Italian soldiers would be deployed to bolster the fragile unity government in its efforts to end the lawlessness in the country and combat the growing presence of Islamic State rebels.
The military effort hinges on the success of the new government in merging the violently hostile factions that have been running Tripolitania and Cyrenaica as if they were separate countries since 2012; but assuming the coalition holds, the west will have boots on the ground in yet another Muslim country in 2016. It is almost certain that Britain already has its Special Air Service (SAS) operatives in country, though the Ministry of Defence refuses to confirm or deny those rumours.
The catalyst for this action is the success the rebels have enjoyed in damaging or capturing Libya’s oil infrastructure. The most recent incident was a suicide bombing and rocket attack on the oil port of Sidra. The various groups, including those swearing fealty to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, depend on the black market sale of crude oil for much of their financing, with which they buy weapons and munitions in a thriving trade.
