STUTTGART, Germany — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says Italy has agreed to lead an expanded effort to attack Islamic State militants in Libya.
“The effort … which the Italians indicated they’d lead, has been long awaited, to help Libya put itself back together and expel what are basically foreigners from its territory,” Carter said at a news conference in Germany Tuesday.
Carter’s statement comes a day before meeting with the heavy hitters in the coalition battling the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the U.K.
In the past, U.S. officials said any major expansion of the campaign against the Islamic State would require a functioning government, a requirement that has been met, at least nominally, by the recently formed Government of National Accord.
“As they want assistance, I think you know that a number of countries, including the United States … are prepared to do that,” Carter said. “But Italy has agreed to take the lead.”
Carter was flanked by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford, who said the U.S. is already planning for the expanded campaign, and that high-level officials including U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. David Rodriguez have already met with the Government of National Accord. “We’re already working very closely with the GNA to determine what assistance they may require.”
But Dunford also stressed that the U.S. has already conducted operations inside Libya and will again anytime the Islamic State poses a direct threat to the U.S.
“If there is a threat against the homeland or U.S. personnel, we’re going to act, and we have already in the past done that,” Dunford said. “We’ve passed the threshold for that.”
