Libya to UN Security Council: Lift arms embargo so we can fight IS

Libya’s foreign minister has demanded that the UN Security Council lift an arms embargo so his country can fight the Islamic State group as it establishes a presence in north Africa and moves closer to Europe. Foreign Minister Mohammed al Dairi spoke to an emergency session of the council on Wednesday amid regional alarm after the Islamic State group over the weekend posted a video of the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya. Al Dairi stressed that Libya is not asking for international intervention. But he said the international community has a “legal and moral responsibility to lend urgent support” and that the region, including the Mediterranean, is in danger.

If we fail to have arms provided to us, this can only play into the hands of extremists.

Foreign Minister Mohammed al Dairi

The foreign minister of neighboring Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, called for a naval blockade on arms heading to areas of Libya outside the control of “legitimate authorities.” He did not rule out troops on the ground in Libya and said his country was seeking international support “by all means.” Libya has descended into chaos since the 2011 revolt, with the internationally recognised government forced to flee to the country’s east and militias in control of Tripoli and other main cities. Some militias have pledged allegiance to Islamic State - the brutal Sunni Muslim group in control of large parts of Syria and Iraq - and one of them released this week a video of the gruesome mass beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians.

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