Obama utilized the same playbook in Libya and Syria. Both were regime change attacks that used Islamist terrorists, both domestic and imported, to kill civilians and government officials, while leaving the country destroyed and looted of resources. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ordered stockpiles of Libyan government weapons to be shipped to Turkey and then sent to Idlib, Syria, which became the command center of the armed opposition to Assad.
Trump is a businessman and may see the huge potential of restoring security across Libya, which could result in exploiting the Libyan energy resources. US businesses could profit from a safe and calm Libya.
President Putin of Russia observed the US-NATO attacks on Libya and Syria. Putin has tried to counter the destructive attacks in both countries by offering security and humanitarian help to the suffering civilians. Russia has followed the UN Charter, which states all countries must fight Al Qaeda and ISIS where they find them, but the US has used them at times as military assets when useful to US goals, as was the case in Libya and Syria.
Russia's policy on Islamist terror groups has resulted from decades of devastating terror attacks across Russia. Bus and airport attacks, shopping mall mass attacks, and many more terror atrocities have been carried out in Russia by Islamist groups.
The Obama war on Libya resulted in a split of the country, with one capital in Tripoli, which is Islamist leaning, but recognized by the UN as the legitimate government.
To offset the Islamic Tripoli group, Commander Haftar, an anti-Islamist military officer, launched attacks in May 2014. Haftar announced in July 2017 that Benghazi had been cleared of Islamist fighters.
The Libyan Political Agreement of 2015 divided the country into two rival regimes in the years following Gadhafi's overthrow. The regimes include the Libya Dawn, supporters of the Islamist-led General National Congress that is based in Tripoli, and the House of Representatives in Tobruk.
This has remained the divide of the country, which Trump seeks to bring together in a unified manner involving political, military, and economic sectors.
With the country on the brink of economic collapse, the Trump plan might be viewed favorably as it is focused on security and economic improvements.
Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist.
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