Islamic extremists have seen an opportunity; they cannot be allowed to capitalise on it
Thousands of innocent lives have been saved as a result of Nato’s intervention in Libya. But it has also had a crucial unintended consequence. Jihadism, long kept in check under Colonel Gaddafi’s iron rule, is now emerging as a problem in the liberated areas of the country. The rebel government, now known as the Interim National Council (INC), is struggling to cope.
Jihadism has always been present in Libya. During the 1990s, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), of which I was a senior leader, engaged in a long armed struggle against Gaddafi’s regime in an unsuccessful attempt to establish