In November, Reconnaissance flights began from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and have confirmed that France and its allies are actively preparing to intervene in Libya to fight Daesh (Islamic State), French journalist Olivier d'Auzon wrote for Le Huffington Post. Following Iraq and Syria, Libya has become the next country to be plagued by Daesh militants. The terror group controls areas near the city of Sirte and oil fields in the southern part of Libya. Currently, around 5,000 Daesh fighters are thought to be crawling around in Libya, according to the country's interior minister. Most of these fighters are foreigners from other North African nations. France and Italy are particularly worried about the Daesh expansion, as in the case of Rome the terrorists are less than 350 kilometers away from the coast of Italy. Earlier this year, the Italian government announced it was ready to send ground troops to stop Daesh in its tracks. On December 23, the UN Security Council approved a resolution endorsing an agreement to form a national unity government in Libya. Libya has been in a state of turmoil for years after the Arab Spring protests in early 2011 led to a civil war and the overthrow of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. Currently, there are two opposing governments in Libya: the internationally-recognized Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC). Considering Libya's present troubles began due to the negligent policies of Western countries, one can hope that France and its allies have learned from their past mistakes and would approach the continuing problem in Libya with better judgment.
