TRIPOLI — Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Al-Dairi has warned that the threat of terrorism facing Libya today has the potential to spread to the country's Arab, Africian and southern European neighbors, and that in light of the international community's misgivings about involvement, especially before the formation of a unity government, the Libyan government would seek support from its “Arab brothers”. The Foreign Minister went on to clarify that the Libyan government had asked for the provision of weapons for the national army, not military intervention or boots on the ground, for the purpose of stopping the spread of terrorism in Libya and across its borders. “The Europeans and Americans have lobbied at the UN to lay the condition that we form a unity government before the arms embargo is lifted, but we are asking for weapons for the Libyan army under the internationally-recognised Libyan government. There is no need to fear that the weapons will end up in the hands of extremists,” Dairi told Sky News. Italy, France, the US and the UK and other states have been pushing for a diplomatic solution and urging the formation of a unity government, hoping that the urgency of the threat from the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group will bring factions together. Libya is not getting the attention it deserves from the international community because it is currently focused on the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and the Ukraine, Dairi claimed. Egypt, however, has been quick to respond to Libya's calls for help since IS released the video last Monday showing the horrific beheadings of 21 Christians on a beach in Sirte, 20 of them Egyptians Copts. “Libya and Egypt are in the same boat. Our security situation affects theirs and vice versa,” Dairi said. “We are in constant communication with Egypt and are coordinating with them in terms of political and military leadership,” he went on to say, “and we would like to have comprehensive support to confront terrorism in Libya, not only threats from IS, but Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram as well.” — Libya Herald
