Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford told reporters traveling with him that an agreement with the fledgling Libyan government could be finalized any day now, which would allow the Pentagon to proceed with plans to send special operations forces into the North African country to expand the fight against the Islamic State.
“We’re just not ready to deploy capabilities yet because there hasn’t been an agreement. And frankly, any day that could happen,” he said.
Last month, Dunford told the Senate Armed Services Committee that a “concept of operations” for U.S. support of the new Libyan government had already been drawn up the U.S. Africa Command.
“We have, as a result of his concept of operations, reallocated resources. The secretary made that decision about a month ago, month and a half ago, to reallocate resources to AFRICOM to further develop the intelligence that we would need to support operations in Libya throughout Africa,” Dunford testified.
Pentagon officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans are not yet final, said the expanded effort in Libya will be similar to the “advise and assist” missions in Syria and Iraq. Under those missions, U.S. special operation forces try to identify capable local forces and figure out ways to support and enable them, potentially including airstrikes to support ground offensives.
“As the new Libyan government gets on its feet, we will support it in the fight against ISIL,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the same Senate Committee. “We will counter ISIL and work with partners wherever ISIL has or tries to gain a foothold.”
The Pentagon announced that Italy has agreed to lead the counter-ISIL effort in Libya, but it’s unclear if that includes any commitment of ground troops.
Speaking to reporters on his plane returning to the U.S. from a NATO meeting in Brussels, Dunford said an “intense dialog” was underway, and hinted that that the Libyan mission could begin soon.
