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8/19/2019 Building a New Foundation for Stability in Libya
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Building a New Foundation
for Stability in LibyaBy William Danvers March 2016
WWW.AMERICANPROGRESS.O
8/19/2019 Building a New Foundation for Stability in Libya
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Building a New Foundationfor Stability in Libya
By William Danvers March 2016
8/19/2019 Building a New Foundation for Stability in Libya
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1 Introduction and summary
4 Making hard choices in the fight against ISIS
6 Putting Libyan politics back together again
8 Rebuilding Libya’s economy for the long haul
10 Recommendations
14 Conclusion
16 Endnotes
Contents
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Introduction and summary
For almos five years, Libyans have sruggled o build a new poliical order
or heir counry ou o he wreckage lef by Moammar Gadhafi’s our-decade
dicaorship. Despie successul naional elecions in July 2012, poliical acions
backed by various miliias have sough power a he expense o heir rivals. As a
resul, Libya’s oil producion and, consequenly, is economy have collapsed along
wih any semblance o a pos-Gadhafi poliical order.1
Tis violen sruggle or power has creaed a securiy vacuum, filled in par by heIslamic Sae o Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, and various Al Qaeda-linked error-
is groups, such as Ansar al-Sharia. In he pas year, Libya has become a sraegic
locaion or ISIS. Due o coaliion miliary pressure, he group has old recruis o
head or Sire in Libya raher han say in Syria or Iraq.2 Te growing presence o
ISIS in Libyanow esimaed o oal as many as 6,500 fighers3represens a
direc securiy hrea o he Unied Saes and is allies in Europe, he Middle Eas,
and Norh Arica.
As his hrea grows more acue, he Unied Saes and is allies have been orced
o re-evaluae heir Libya policiesa process ha is sill underway. Since he 2014
breakdown o he pos-Gadhafi poliical order, he Unied Naions has led he
inernaional communiy in atemps o bring Libya’s warring poliical acions
ogeher under a naional uniy governmen. Te hope is ha he offer o help
rom he Unied Saes and oher counries o rebuild Libya’s governing insiu-
ions would provide an impeus or Libyans o come ogeher in a new, unified
governmen, srenghening Libya’s sovereigny and uniy as a resul. Tis is, how-
ever, a long-erm approach ha does no address he immediae challenges posed
by ISIS and oher erroris groups.
Libya oday epiomizes he complicaed siuaion he Unied Saes aces in devel-
oping and implemening a cohesive sraegy across he Middle Eas and Norh
Arica, or MENA, region. Te Unied Saes seeks o help counries produce sable
governmens wih poliical legiimacy and uncioning insiuions in he long
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erm. Bu shor-erm securiy hreas rom erroris groups and oher non-sae
acors ha require immediae responses make achieving he long-erm sraegy
more dauning. For example, acions aken o figh ISIS in Libya could undermine
diplomaic effors o orge a naional uniy governmen or build adequae govern-
ing insiuions. Similarly, delaying acion agains ISIS unil a Libyan naional
uniy governmen is ormed gives he group more ime o increase is reach inLibya, he region, and beyond.
Anoher issue ceners on how o define U.S. leadership and engagemen wih
oher counries ha have a sake and responsibiliy in Libya. Te Unied Saes
has ried o work cooperaively wih naions in he region and Europe in order
o suppor Libya. A imes, hese governmens have been slow o respond o he
challenges Libya presens and, in some cases, have aken seps ha are coun-
erproducive o addressing he shor-erm securiy hreas and long-erm goal
o producing a uncioning governmen. Te urgency o he momen in Libya
provides he U.S. wih an opporuniy o show resolve and leadership in building aproacive sraegy aimed a boh producing a new oundaion or long-erm sabil-
iy and addressing immediae hreas. aking acion now could help avoid he kind
o crisis he inernaional communiy currenly aces in Syria.
Tis repor offers several recommendaions in he areas o securiy, diplomacy,
and he economy ha he Unied Saes and is allies should underake in Libya.
Security
• Creae an inernaional Libya suppor group, or ILSG, ha wouldamong
oher hingscoordinae all securiy relaed effors, including airsrikes agains
ISIS and oher erroris groups; inelligence sharing; and possible deploymen
o roops in accordance wih inernaional law
• Prepare o help Libya rebuild is securiy insiuions
• Provide assisance o veted Libyan miliias in order o reake erriory rom ISIS
unil unified naional-level securiy insiuions can be esablished
• Increase suppor or securiy orces proecing oil aciliies
• Provide border conrol assisance o Libya’s neighbors, especially unisia
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Diplomacy
• Offer suppor and assisance hrough he G7 and G20 in order o incenivize
Libya’s poliical acions o agree o a naional uniy governmen
•Suppor civil sociey o help Libya esablish a uncioning, unified governmen
Economy
• Secure and inves in Libya’s energy secor o make i more compeiive
• Suppor job creaion, especially or youh and demobilized miliia members
• Develop he privae secor, including hrough working wih exising Libyan
economic insiuions
Te challenges in Libya require a long-erm approach, as well as a coordinaed
inernaional suppor and srucure. Te counry’s many problems will no be
solved overnigh. Te nex U.S. adminisraion will sill be dealing wih hese
issues. Te mos immediae concern or Libya, is neighbors, he Unied Saes,
and he European Union is he increasing erroris hrea in he counry, paricu-
larly ISIS.
I he Libyan people can come ogeher, suppor rom he Unied Saes and he
inernaional communiy should be subsanial and susained unil he economy
can be revived and a degree o sabiliy is esablished. I Libyans coninue heir
infighing, legiimae acors and he acions ha renounce exremism will require
suppor o couner he abiliy o erroriss o exploi he power vacuum. Eiher
way, he U.S. commimen o Libya will need o increase and coninue in order o
proec U.S. ineress and securiy.
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Making hard choices in the fight
against ISIS
Te mos immediae challenge acing he Unied Saes in Libya is he rise o ISIS.
Is ascen has coincided wih he conflic beween Libya’s wo main poliical ac-
ions: he Islamis-led Libya Dawn coaliion ha ook over ripoli in Augus 2014
and he inernaionally recognized governmen currenly residing in obruk. Te
obruk governmen is backed by he orces o “Operaion Digniy,” reired general
Khalia Hifar’s ani-Islamis campaign, which began in May 2014.4
ISIS announced is presence in he wesern coasal own o Derna in Ocober2014. Alhough local miliias drove he fighers ou o Derna because o ISIS’s dra-
conian ruling syle, he erroris organizaion regrouped and ook conrol o he
ciy o Sire in May 2015, drawing on he suppor o disgrunled Gadhafi loyaliss.
By some esimaes, ISIS presenly conrols as much as 180 miles o Libyan coas-
line near Sire.5 Tis srong ISIS presence along he Medierranean coas poses a
significan danger o Libya, is Norh Arican neighbors, and Europe. Te possibil-
iy o ISIS ploting atacks agains Americans rom Libya canno be ruled ou.
New ISIS recruis are increasingly direced o head or Libya raher han Iraq or
Syria. ISIS is also able o recrui deecors rom Al Qaeda-aligned Libyan acions
who see i as a viable alernaive.6 A he same ime, Libya is becoming a place o
reuge or ISIS leaders escaping he war in Syria and Iraq, making Libya an aler-
naive place o operaion or ISIS. Finally, oreign fighers rom unisia, Egyp,
Sudan, and Algeria have joined ISIS in Libya, since i is a closer desinaion han
he Levan and can offer a raining ground or ISIS operaives o expand opera-
ions in Norh Arica.7 Te recen expansion o ISIS in Libya reinorces is main
propaganda heme: I is enduring and expanding.
Te Unied Saes has underaken unilaeral counererrorism operaions in Libyao deend isel and is allies. American airsrikes killed an ISIS leader ouside
Derna in November 2015 and hi an ISIS raining camp in wesern Libya in
February 2016.8 Oher srikes have argeed Al Qaeda-linked leaders.9 Indeed,
he hrea o he Unied Saes and is allies rom Al Qaeda-linked groups such as
Ansar al-Sharia should no be overlooked. Bu ISIS represens he mos clear and
pressing danger o he Unied Saes and is parners.
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For he momen, he Unied Saes and is European allies are waiing or he
Libyans o orm a naional uniy governmen. Te hope is ha, once his gov-
ernmen is ormed, i will be able o coordinae wih he Unied Saes and he
European Union in fighing ISIS. While working wih a unified Libyan govern-
men is preerable, he Unied Saes and is allies may find hemselves in he
difficul posiion o being compelled by heir own securiy ineress o pursue amore aggressive approach agains ISIS in Libyawih or wihou a naional uniy
governmen. U.S. Secreary o Deense Ash Carer said he ormaion o a new
governmen was no a precondiion or he Unied Saes going ino Libya on is
own, adding, “We need o proec ourselves.”10 Hopeully, he Libyan people will
use his warning o possible unilaeral acion agains ISIS o suppor he ormaion
o a new governmen.
A more aggressive approach would likely be similar o he Obama adminisraion’s
counererrorism campaign in Iraq and Syria, including a combinaion o airsrikes
and special operaions raids in suppor o local orces ha are fighing ISIS on heground. U.S.11 and French special operaions orces are reporedly already on he
ground in Libya, indicaing a more robus campaign agains ISIS.12 Alhough a
more asserive securiy effor would no necessarily enail abandoning he ques
or a naional uniy governmen and poliical reconciliaion beween Libya’s wo
main acions, i would make i more difficul. A poenial risk in engaging miliias
o figh ISIS is he exacerbaion o exising rivalries beween armed groups or he
creaion o new ones. Noneheless, enlising veted local miliiasU.S. special
operaions orces are reporedly doing his already 13may be necessary as ISIS
becomes more o a hrea in Libya.
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Putting Libyan politics back
together again
Libya’s pos-Gadhafi poliical ransiion sared off well. In July 2012, elecions
were held, and a coaliion o relaive liberals ha made up he inerim ransiional
Naional Council deeaed Islamis paries led by he Muslim Broherhood.
Unorunaely, he new auhoriies ailed o adequaely disarm he miliias ha
had helped overhrow he Gadhafi regime or incorporae hem ino new securiy
insiuions. As a resul, Islamis paries were able o coerce significan concessions
rom he new parliamen and inimidae heir opponens,14 and Islamis mili-
ans linked o Al Qaeda ound hemselves able o operae reely across Libya. Inopposiion o Islamis groups, ormer General Khalia Hifar launched Operaion
Digniy in Benghazi wih he suppor o Egyp and he Unied Arab Emiraes in
May 2014.15
Te sruggle or poliical power beween Islamiss and heir opponens culminaed
in ripoli in Augus 2014. Libya Dawna coaliion o Islamis miliias backed by
urkey and Qaarunseaed he eleced parliamen by orce. Parliamenarians fled
o obruk o re-esablish hemselves as he House o Represenaives, or HoR, rec-
ognized inernaionally as he legiimae governmen o Libya.16 Operaion Digniy
allied isel wih he HoR in opposiion o he General Naional Congress, or GNC.
Te GNC remained in ripoli under he conrol o Libya Dawn and is allies.
Te U.N. Suppor Mission in Libya, or UNSMIL, has been working wih boh
sides o he Libyan poliical divide in an effor o find common ground. Te
ouline o a U.N. plan o orm a uniy governmen was announced in Skhira,
Morocco, in he summer o 2015, and in December 2015, he Unied Naions bro-
kered a deal in an atemp o ge hese wo groups o paricipae in a Governmen
o Naional Accord, or GNA.17 Te ramework or esablishing a GNA involves
seting up a presidency council ha consiss o a prime miniser and depuies, as well as minisers. Te council would be largely responsible or securiy, including
commanding he Libyan army. However, here are already fissures in suppor or
he new governmen. One example is a recen HoR voe agains a uniy govern-
men, alhough here was anoher HoR voe in suppor o he overall ramework
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o he U.N. agreemen supporing a poliical ransiion or Libya.18 Giving he
securiy responsibiliy o he council is a major roadblock or he HoR and Hifar
supporers, who believe Hifar and Operaion Digniy should be in charge o secu-
riy.19 For is par, he GNC expelled a group o is members ha signed he U.N.
agreemen, saying hey had no auhoriy o do so.20
As imperec as he U.N. process has been, i is he mos organized o all endeavors
o pull ogeher a pos-Gadhafi Libya. Te signing and implemenaion o he U.N.
sancioned plan o esablish a GNA is an essenial par o rebuilding Libya, as well
as fighing ISIS. I is clear ha here mus be acive and susained suppor rom he
Unied Saes and oher supporers o Libya in order or he U.N. effor o succeed
in orming a unified governmen. Coninuous high-level engagemen wih key
Libyan poliical acors is necessary. I means making sure ha all sides undersand
here will be help or a new Libyan governmensecuriy, poliical, and eco-
nomici Libyans can ge behind he U.N. effor. Tis would include inegraing
he inernaional communiy’s counererrorism effors as par o he overall efforo work wih and assis a new governmen.
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Rebuilding Libya’s economy for the
long haul
Libya’s poliical and securiy crises have crippled he counry’s economy. Oil
producion has allen rom a pos-Gadhafi high o 1.4 million barrels a day o he
presen producion o approximaely 400,000 barrels a day, and he inormal value
o Libya’s currency has dropped by more han hal.21 In 2016, Libya’s gross domes-
ic produc, or GDP, is expeced o conrac 8 percen, making i he world’s wors
perorming economy.22 Youh unemploymen in Libya was esimaed o be as high
as 50 percen in a 2014 Arican Developmen Bank repor.23
Libya’s economy is almos enirely dependen on is energy indusry. Oil and
gas revenues accoun or 80 percen o he counry’s GDP, 95 percen o is
expor revenue, and 99 percen o is governmen revenues. 24 As a Wes Poin
Combaing errorism Cener repor pu i, “Wihou oil here are no jobs.
Wihou oil here is no ood.”25
Despie severe securiy and poliical problems, Libya sill possesses some unc-
ioning insiuions on which o base a revialized economy. Te Naional Oil
Corporaion, or NOC, or insance, has a uncioning inrasrucure, alhough
is aciliies have been under atack. Given he cenral role energy plays in Libya’s
economy, i will be criical o proec his inrasrucure while he counry’s polii-
cal acions resolve heir differences.
In addiion o he NOC, Libya has wo oher uncional economic insiuions:
he Cenral Bank o Libya and he Libyan Invesmen Auhoriy, or LIA.26 Tese
insiuions should be kep as poliically independen as possible in order o sup-
por pos-conflic reconsrucion. Te cos o Libya’s inrasrucure needs is $200
billion over 10 years according o World Bank esimaes.27
Over he long erm, Libya will remain unsable as long as i lacks a uncioning
economy and a privae secor able o provide jobs and income o is ciizens.
Te LIA board has developed a comprehensive plan or economic sabiliza-
ion ha includes effors o build insiuions ha can suppor a more diverse
economy. Te crux o he problem or Libya is ha i has no privae secor o
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speak o, which is necessary o creae jobs and oser economic growh. In a
recen inerview, Hassan Bouhadi, chairman o he LIA said, “Te privae sec-
or was virually desroyed over he las 30 years, especially during he 1980s
and 1990s because o he socialis ideals o Gaddafi … I was difficul o open a
barber shop, le alone have a acory or a law firm. Te privae secor is weak and
needs suppor and unding.”28
Bouhadi has indicaed he wans o use some LIAasseswhich, according o some sources, oal $67 billiono jump-sar he
Libyan privae secor.29 He wans o develop public and privae parnerships and
diversiy he Libyan economy so ha i is no solely dependen on hydrocarbon
asses and producion.30
Rebuilding Libya’s ailing economy will ake resources and commimen on he
par o he Unied Saes and is allies. Tis will necessarily involve no only gov-
ernmens bu also inernaional organizaions and he privae secor. I canno be
done, however, unless he Libyans firs accep and implemen he U.N. agreemen.
Tere can be no rebuilding o Libya wihou a unified Libyan governmen. Te
U.N. agreemen o orm a unified governmen should be viewed as a firs sep in
helping Libya, and preparaions should be made o moivae paries o suppor
he U.N. plan. Ulimaely, Libya’s success or ailure is in he hands o he Libyan
people. Tey need inernaional help, bu he decision o orm a governmen and
creae new insiuions ha are responsive o he people is up o hem.
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Recommendations
While Libya is in crisis poliically, economically, and miliarily, here is an oppor-
uniyalbei a narrow oneha could begin o change he counry’s course.
Te firs order o business is o deal wih he growing hrea o ISIS. I would be
bes o do ha wih a new, unified Libyan governmen, bu he possibiliy remains
ha he Unied Saes and ohers will sep up heir figh agains ISIS direcly i
necessary. Geting he U.N. agreemen in place is also a requisie or helping Libya
rebuild poliical insiuions, as well as is economy. Te Unied Saes and oher
concerned naions should make a firm offer o assisance i he Libyans can comeogeher poliically. Below are some general recommendaions o how o deal wih
securiy problems, paricularly ISIS, as well as wha could be done o help a new
Libyan governmen.
Security, the fight against ISIS, and rebuilding Libya’s military
Te success o Libya’s poliical process will help o deermine boh how he
Unied Saes and is allies can engage ISIS in Libya and how hey help Libya build
is own inernal securiy srucure. Ideally, ani-ISIS effors could be coordinaed
wih a naional uniy governmen, bu his prioriy mus be balanced agains he
need or immediae miliary acion in order o preven ISIS rom becoming more
enrenched in Libya. Te Obama adminisraion has righly signaled is inenion
o scale up operaions agains ISIS arges.31 I is now aced wih he delicae ask
o finding parners on he ground o figh ISIS in a way ha does no undercu he
poliics o governmen ormaion. o achieve his balance, he Unied Saes and
is allies should ake he ollowing seps:
•
Create an international Libya support group. While he Arican Union, or AU, and Unied Naions have groups working o help Libya, he Unied Saes
should call or he creaion o a ILSGsimilar o he Inernaional Syria
Suppor Groupin order o have a regularized orma or high-level consula-
ion and coordinaion. Te ILSG would, among oher hings, esablish a Libyan
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securiy-coordinaion mechanism o ensure he effeciveness o he inerna-
ional sraegy o deea ISIS in Libya. Working wih he miliary leadership o
is paricipans, he ILSG would coordinae airsrikes, inelligence, and special
operaions aciviies in Libya in accordance wih inernaional law. I should also
be he main poin o conac or veted miliias who will join he figh agains
ISIS and ake charge o raining and assising a Libyan naional miliary in hefigh agains ISIS in he even ha a uniy governmen is ormed. Te ILSG
would also make cerain here is no geopoliical compeiionamong MENA
naions in paricularin Libya, which could undermine he figh agains ISIS
and Libya’s effors o orm a uniy governmen.
• Prepare to help rebuild Libya’s security institutions. Tough he Unied Saes
and is European allies canno depend on Libya’s poliical acions o come
ogeher o proec heir own securiy, hey can begin heir planning o help
rebuild Libya’s securiy insiuions i and when a naional uniy governmen
invies hem. Careul planning will be needed in order o build a se o insiu-ions ha can boh ake on ISIS and remain unified naionally. Special atenion
will need o be paid o he demobilizaion and reinegraion o miliias, as well as
o orces charged wih securing he counry’s oil inrasrucure and borders.
• Support assistance to vetted Libyan militias. Te Unied Saes and oher
members o he ILSG should careully coordinae limied assisance o miliias
and oher irregular orces o comba ISIS. Te effor should ocus on miliias
ha have a paricular incenive o figh ISIS and have been veted by U.S. Special
Forces. Te immediae goal should be o help hese groups deend heir erriory
and sop ISIS expansion. Any assisance should be provided wih a careul eye
on he balance o power among he miliias and he corresponding effec on he
naional poliical process. Again, his suppor should be somehing he Unied
Saes and is parners coordinae wih a poenial uniy governmen.
• Increase support for security forces protecting oil facilities. Te Unied Saes
and is allies should prioriize coordinaing and supporing Libyan oil-field secu-
riy orces ha can proec oil aciliies rom ISIS.
•
Provide more effective border-control aid for neighbors. Te Unied Saesand is allies should also assis Libya’s neighbors in beter conrolling heir bor-
ders wih unding, raining, and echnical assisance. Given he large proporion
o milians i has produced and he erroris atacks ISIS has already claimed
here, unisia should be a op prioriy. In addiion, counries on Libya’s souh-
ern border should also be given suppor or border securiy in order o help
reduce illici smuggling ino Libya.
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Diplomatic support of conflict resolution, functional politics, and
institution building
An effecive diplomaic sraegy or he crisis in Libya would operae on muliple
levels. A he naional level, he Unied Saes should coninue is suppor or he
U.N.-led effor o help Libyans broker a naional uniy governmen. A a regionallevel, he compeiion or power should be minimized. A he inernaional level,
mulilaeral bodies and bilaeral donors should maximize he incenives or
Libyans o reach a setlemen. o his end, he Unied Saes and is allies should
ake he ollowing specific seps:
• Offer an incentive package from major economies. Working hrough he G7
and G20 and in coordinaion wih oher inernaional effors, he Unied Saes
and is allies can provide echnical and economic suppor as an incenive or he
Libyans o orm a new governmen. Tis effor would also involve inernaional
financial insiuions such as he World Bank and he Inernaional MonearyFund.
• Support civil society. A he same ime, he Unied Saes and he European
Union should help Libya develop a vibran civil sociey once here is a uniy
governmen. raining programs could be provided by organizaions such as
he Naional Democraic Insiue; he Inernaional Republican Insiue;
he Inernaional Insiue or Democracy and Elecoral Assisance; and he
Organizaion or Economic Co-operaion and Developmen, or OECD, ouside
o Libya unil he securiy siuaion improves inernally.
Creation of a long-term economic plan
Economic sabiliy has wo key componens in Libya: sabilizing he oil and gas
indusry and diversiying he economy. Tere is litle hope o Libya having a unc-
ioning economy wihou a unified governmen. Noneheless, he Unied Saes
and is parners could offer a plan o help Libya rebuild and diversiy is economy.
In urn, i could be used as leverage o gain suppor or a new governmen. Te
plan could include he ollowing acions:
• Secure and invest in the oil industry. As noed above, he firs order o busi-
ness is o secure Libya’s peroleum inrasrucure agains ISIS. Inernaional
invesmen and echnical assisance will be required o repair and modernize
he oil and gas secor. Libya’s NOC will have an imporan role in securing he
privae invesmen necessary o mee his goal.
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• Support job creation. Job creaion should be a prioriy in Libya. Privae-secor
job creaion programs will be required or ormer miliia members and young
people in paricular. Te Unied Saes and oher donors should provide echni-
cal and financial assisance or micro-enerprise programs in order o srenghen
he small-business secor. By using bilaeral and developmen bank resources
and a model such as he Grameen Bank o susain capial or small- and micro- businesseshe inernaional communiy can oser job creaion and suppor
he developmen o he privae secor.
• Develop the private sector. Over he long erm, Libya mus develop a diverse
privae secor. Ta means creaing incenives or businessespecially small-
and medium-sized enerpriseso develop. Tis will require echnical assis-
ance and invesmen. Inernaional organizaions such as he World Bank,
regional developmen banks, and he OECD are bes placed o help wih his
effor. Te LIA can ake he lead in helping o und and coordinae such an
underaking wih inernaional financial insiuions.
Looking ahead, he Unied Saes and is allies should develop a susained sraegy
ocusing on securiy, insiuion building, and he Libyan economy. I is clear ha
while he preerence o he Unied Saes and is parners is o work wih a new
Libyan governmen in he figh agains ISIS, hey may need o join he batle even
i here is no agreemen. For heir par, he Libyan people should ge behind he
U.N. agreemen o orm a unified governmen so ha hey can ake advanage o
he assisance he inernaional communiy is offering.
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14 Center for American Progress | Building a New Foundation for Stability in Libya
Conclusion
Libya is a ailing sae, bu i has no ye ully collapsed. Te U.N. agreemen
signed in December 2015 is he key o Libya’s survival as a naion. I offers a road
map o a unied Libya. Te Libyan people have o decide wheher hey can accep
his or any plan ha will bring hem ogeher as a naion.
Te process o rying o reach an agreemen on he implemenaion o he U.N.
deal is complicaed by he growing hrea o ISIS. Failed saes and poliical and
securiy vacuums creae problems beyond heir immediae environmen. A ailedLibya will be no excepion. I will increasingly become a haven or erroriss and
criminals. Assising Libya now wih is securiy, is poliical insiuions, and is
economy would have posiive consequences or he Unied Saes, he European
Union, and MENA naions. Policymakers have an opporuniy o develop and
implemen a sraegy ha responds o he immediae hrea o ISIS and he longer-
erm goal o helping Libya rebuild. Te imely and crucial suppor o Libya would
no only preven is collapsei would also enable he Unied Saes and oher
concerned governmens o proec heir own ineress in boh Libya and he
region a large.32
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15 Center for American Progress | Building a New Foundation for Stability in Libya
About the author
William Danvers is a Senior Fellow a he Cener or American Progress, where he
works on a range o naional securiy issues. Danvers has worked on naional secu-
riy issues or 34 years in he execuive branch, Congress, various inernaional
organizaions, and he privae secor. Prior o joining he Cener, Danvers was heSaff Direcor o he Senae Foreign Relaions Commitee or Sen. John Kerry
(D-MA) and worked a he Naional Securiy Council and Sae Deparmen
during he Clinon adminisraion. He also worked a he CIA, Deparmen
o Deense, and Sae Deparmen during he Obama adminisraion. In addi-
ion, he served as depuy secreary-general o he Organizaion or Economic
Co-operaion and Developmen, or OECD, in Paris where he was responsible or
relaions wih nonmember naions, including regional programs in he Middle
Eas, Eas Asia, and elsewhere.
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16 Center for American Progress | Building a New Foundation for Stability in Libya
Endnotes
1 Haythem Rashed, “Libya Reaches Most Critical JunctureSince Gaddafi’s Fall,” Financial Times, January 11, 2016,available at http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/bf016c28-b5f4-11e5-8358-9a82b43f6b2f.html.
2 Eric Schmitt, “U.S. Scrambles to Contain Growing ISIS Threat in Libya,” The New York Times, February 21, 2016,available at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/world/africa/us-scrambles-to-contain-growing-isis-threat-in-libya.html.
3 Ibid.
4 Frederic Wehrey, “Is Libya Headed for Another Qad-dafi?”, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,October 1, 2015, available at http://carnegieendow-ment.org/2015/10/01/is-libya-headed-for-another-qaddafi/iie9.
5 The Economist, “The Third Front,” February 6, 2016,available at http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21690030-it-time-take-action-against-islamic-state-libya-third-front.
6 Andrew Engel, “Libya’s Civil War: Rebuilding the Coun-try from the Ground Up” (Washington: The WashingtonCenter for Near East Policy, 2015), available at http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote25_Engel4.pdf.
7 Ibid.
8 Sudarsan Raghavan, Missy Ryan, and Brian Murphy,“U.S. strike on Libya camp escalates campaign againstIslamic State,” The Washington Post, February 19, 2016,available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/reports-airstrikes-target-suspected-islamic-state-base-in-libya/2016/02/19/e622c12a-d6f7-11e5-be55-2cc3c1e4b76b_story.html
9 Missy Ryan, “U.S. planes target al-Qaeda veteran inLibya,” The Washington Post, June 14, 2016, availableat https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-strike-targets-veteran-militant-linked-to-algeria-hostage-attack/2015/06/14/f701152a-12d8-
11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html?tid=a_inl.
10 Paul D. Shinkman, “U.S. Commandos Expand Anti-ISIS War into Libya,” U.S. News and World Report,January 29, 2016, http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-01-29/us-commandos-expand-anti-isis-war-into-libya.
11 Ibid.
12 Paul Taylor, “French specia l forces waging ‘secret war’in L ibya,”Reuters, February 24, 2016, available at http://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-france-idUSKCN0VX1C3.
13 Shinkman, “U.S. Commandos Expand Anti-ISIS War intoLibya.”
14 Brian Katulis and Peter Juul, “The Real Scandal in Libya:
A Security Vacuum and New Terrorist Threats,” Centerfor American Progress, May 15, 2013, available athttps://www.americanprogress.org/issues/security/news/2013/05/15/63501/the-real-scandal-in-libya-a-security-vacuum-and-new-terrorist-threats/.
15 Christopher M. Blanchard, “Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy”(Washington: Congressional Research Service, 2015), avail-able at http://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33142.pdf.
16 Borzou Daragahi, “Libya: From Euphoria to Breakdown.”In Ben Fishman, ed., North Africa in Transition: theStruggle for Democracies and Institutions (London: TheInternational Institute for Strategic Studies, 2015).
17 Kareem Fahim and Suliman Ali Zway, “Libya’s RivalFactions Sign Deal for Unity Government,” The New YorkTimes, December 18, 2015, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/world/africa/libya-unity-government.html?_r=2.
18 Ibid.
19 The Economist, “The Next Front against the IslamicState,” February 4, 2016, available at http://www.econo-mist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21690057-lib-yas-civil-war-has-given-caliphate-fresh-opportunities-western-military.
20 Associated Foreign Press, “Libyan Lawmakers Sackedfor Signing U.N.-Backed Unity Deal,” February 3, 2016,available at http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/02/03/Libyan-lawmakers-sacked-for-signing-UN-backed-unity-deal-.html.
21 Rashed, “Libya Reaches Most Critical Juncture SinceGaddafi’s Fall.”
22 Ibid.
23 African Development Bank, “Libya: Country Re-Engagement Note 2014–2016” (2014), available athttp://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Docu-ments/Project-and-Operations/Libya_-_Country_Re-Engagement_Note_2014-2016.pdf.
24 Geoff D. Porter, “Terrorist Targeting of the Libyan Oiland Gas Sector,” Combatting Terrorism Center at WestPoint, February 27, 2015, available at https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/terrorist-targeting-of-the-libyan-oil-and-gas-sector.
25 Ibid.
26 International Crisis Group, “The Prize” (2015), available at
http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/Middle%20East%20North%20Africa/North%20Africa/libya/165-the-prize-fighting-for-libya-s-energy-wealth.pdf.
27 The World Bank Middle East and North Africa Region,“The Economic Effects of War and Peace” (2016),available at http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2016/01/29/090224b08411afee/2_0/Rendered/PDF/The0economic0ef-fects0of0war0and0peace.pdf
28 Matt Smith, “Libyan sovereign fund aims to reviveprivate sector,” Reuters, September 8, 2015, availableat http://uk.reuters.com/article/libya-swf-interview-idUKL5N11E3J920150908.
29 Ibid.
30 Ibid.
31 Yaroslav Trofimov, “Libya Will Need American Helpto Defeat Islamic State, General Says,” The Wall Street Journal , February 29, 2016, available at http://www.wsj.com/articles/libya-will-need-american-help-to-defeat-islamic-state-general-says-1456776041?mod=itp&mod=djemITP_h.
32 Brian Katulis, “3 Reasons Obama Should Pay Attentionto Libya,”The Wall Street Journal , June 14, 2014, avail-able at http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/06/04/3-reasons-obama-should-pay-attention-to-libya/.
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