Troops are currently analyzing the security situation as a precursor to US military action in Libya.
The Pentagon is seeking to carry out a US military action against the Islamic State so that its relentless advance can be halted. This comes four years after the dictator Gaddafi was toppled by with the help of US airstrikes.
A spokesman also confirmed on Wednesday that a fresh US military action is being considered in Libya. The spokesman man also said that US officials are weighing their options for ebbing the advance of the Islamic State group so that the extremist outfit is stopped from gaining more ground in the oil-rich North African nation.
At this point, however, a US military action will be carried out only after local allies have been properly identified who are ready to work with the Americans. A high ranking military official has stated that a decisive confrontation with the terrorist group is definitely on the horizon.
American jets retreated after the dictator was apprehended and his body was dragged by angry Libyans in the streets of Tripoli in 2011. Since Gaddafi’s fall, Libya has seen a persistent security vacuum within the country. This has caused many people to question the wisdom of the Allied intervention in Libya.
The situation was further complicated when four Americans including an ambassador were killed in the capital city of Benghazi on a year after the American retreat.
These problems are further aggravated by the fact that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was a very ardent supporter of US military action in Libya within the Obama administration, is currently campaigning for US presidency. One of her contenders, Senator Ted Cruz has already stated that the war in Libya was senseless.
The official noted that the spread of ISIS beyond its place of origin in Iraq and Syria was the main reason why US military action in Libya had become necessary.
He further revealed to the press that a small contingent of US forces was already in contact with Libyans in order to understand the mechanics of the battlefield. He stressed the fact that the Libyan landscape was completely fractured with several militias battling each other for control and power.
It is very likely that the US military action in Libya will be carried out by special operations forces. It was, however, not revealed the exact number of these forces that will be operating in Libya. Most probably, US troops are currently conducting an assessment mission that precedes actual combat.
During the past few weeks, American officials have been forecasting worldwide expanded operation against the Islamic State – a group that has astonished the world with its military acumen, persistence and reach.
Last December, the presence of American Special Forces in Libya was made known through pictures of troops posted on the Libyan army’s Facebook page.
It is certain that US military action in Libya has started. Once the assessment phase is over, the American forces will begin combat operations.
