Islamic State: is Libya the gateway to Europe?

What began as an internal Iraqi conflict between the Sunnis and the Shiites has spread to parts of Syria and has now also reached parts of the northern coast of Libya, just 300 kilometres south of the European mainland and Italy. 

Islamic State (IS) rose mainly to defend Sunnis in Iraq against the manifest oppression of the largely Shiite Iraqi government of Nouri Al-Maliki. But it quickly captured parts of Syria, across the border, amid the chaos and carnage inflicted by the Syrian civil war.

Islamic State barbarity hitting home in Europe

What set alarm bells ringing in most European capitals was the beheading of Egyptian Coptic Christians by Islamic State at the weekend. 

We are all horrified by the gruesome videos of beheadings by Islamic State, churned out almost on a daily basis, but for many this has been largely an Arab conflict. For them it would have been better to stay out of this conflict, even though moral imperative dictates that we should intervene in the face of barbarism beyond measure.

We should not be overly alarmist, but the security challenges are real Roberta Metsola

To many Europeans the Coptic Christians video shook their previous deeply-held views. IS fighters chose a Libyan shoreline as their setting for these beheadings and the narrator pointed his blood-tainted finger at the Mediterranean sea, saying that “we will conquer Rome”.

Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti quickly responded by saying that 5000 troops were ready and willing to lead a unilateral mission if necessary.

Libya: the ideal candidate for islamic state

Libya is effectively in utter turmoil. Warring factions are vying for power and it is not accurate to say that Libya is being governed by two governments - namely the internationally-recognised Tobruk government and the Tripoli-based self-styled government. The situation is much more complex than that.

The city of Derna, just to give one example, has always been beyond reach for former Dictaror Muammar Gaddafi, let alone these two governments. It has until recently been a hotbed for Al-Qaeda terrorists, and now some groups there are claiming to form part of IS.

Libya is, in a sense, the ideal candidate for Islamic State as it is awash in weapons, ranging from bullets and mortars to torpedoes and surface-to-air missiles. It has extremely porous borders, vast swathes of desert and is to a large extent lawless.

If the UN-brokered talks do not succeed, we should look into having a UN-led peacekeeping mission, backed by EU Member States, that will help dismantle the terrorist networks and stabilise the situation on the ground

So the question now is whether European countries should put boots on the ground in Libya before it is too late.

We cannot allow Libya to become a failed state

Former Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini says they must, as long as this mission is mandated by the UN Security Council. MEP Roberta Metsola, who is also Malta’s Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, echoed Francesco Frattini’s assertion.

Libya is the ideal candidate for Islamic State as it is awash in weapons. It has extremely porous borders, vast swathes of desert and is to a large extent lawless.

"We should not be overly alarmist, but the security challenges are real. The UN-brokered talks between all factions in Libya need to continue and must lead to a unity government quickly. We cannot allow Libya to become a failed state."

"We also need to examine whether, if the talks do not succeed, we should look into having a UN-led peacekeeping mission, backed by EU Member States, that will help dismantle the terrorist networks in Libya and stabilise the situation on the ground,” said Roberta Metsola.

But the UN peacekeeping mission in Libya has to be approved by the UN Security Council and, going on past examples, it is not always easy to pass a resolution like this through the UN Security Council.

A new influx of migrants

The problem of migration from Libya to Europe is also exacerbated by IS fighters there, according to Metsola. 

Just a few days ago the Italian coast guard, aided by the Maltese armed forces, rescued roughly one thousand migrants from rickety boats in tempestuous weather. Reportedly, a dinghy full of armed men approached the Italian coast guards and threatened them so they would leave the original empty boat behind.

The rise of IS in Libya also means that human trafficking operations will continue to expand and thousands more migrants will flee to Europe in any way they can

It is highly unusual for so many migrants to cross the Mediterranean at this time of the year and this new trend seems to be due to the presence of IS in Northern Libya, controlling migration crossings from Libya.

The EU must look at every option to save lives, boost security and enhance Frontex operations in the Mediterranean

“The rise of IS in Libya also means that human trafficking operations will continue to expand and thousands more migrants will flee to Europe in any way they can. The EU must look at every option to save lives, boost security and enhance Frontex operations in the Mediterranean – including through the re-deployment of military assets involved in EU Operations, such as EUNAVFOR, to the Mediterranean."

"We cannot be surprised by a new influx of migrants to Europe. As the situation in Libya deteriorates, Member States must be ready to share the responsibility in a spirit of solidarity," said Metsola.   

At this point we have to ask whether Europe can afford to stand by and whether the costs of inaction are catastrophic.