US voices surprise as UAE hits militia in Libya

TRIPOLI — United Arab Emirates (UAE) warplanes secretly bombed Islamist militia targets in Libya, apparently catching Washington off guard, as turmoil in the North African country deepened with the Islamists naming a rival premier.

American officials said on Monday that the UAE’s aircraft launched two attacks in seven days on the Islamists in Tripoli, using bases in Egypt.

The strikes signalled a step towards direct action by regional Arab states that previously have fought proxy wars in Libya, Syria and Iraq in a struggle for power and influence.

The bombing raids were first reported by The New York Times, and Islamist forces in Libya had also alleged the strikes had taken place. "The UAE carried out those strikes," one US official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Asked about the account, a senior US official said "the report is accurate".

The US did not take part or provide any assistance in the bombing raids, said the two officials, who could not confirm that Egypt and the UAE had left Washington totally in the dark about the attacks. The first strikes took place on Monday last week, focusing on targets in Tripoli held by the militias including a small weapons depot, according to the Times. Six people were killed in the bombing.

A second round was conducted south of the city early on Saturday targeting rocket launchers, military vehicles and a warehouse, the newspaper said.

Those strikes may have been a bid to prevent the capture of the airport, but the Islamist militia forces eventually prevailed and seized it despite the air attacks.

The UAE — which has spent billions on US-manufactured warplanes and other advanced weaponry — provided the military aircraft, aerial refuelling planes and aviation crews to bomb Libya, while Cairo offered access to its air bases, the paper said.

Neither the UAE nor Egypt has publicly acknowledged any role in the air strikes.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates view Islamist militants in the region as a serious threat and have forged co-operation against what they see as a common danger.

News of the raids came after Libya’s Islamist-dominated General National Congress on Monday threw down the gauntlet to Libya’s interim government, by naming a prime minister-designate candidate to form a rival administration.

At the same time, Libya’s new army chief declared "war on terrorists" after the elected parliament selected him to tackle the unrest sweeping the nation.

AFP

Source http://www.bdlive.co.za/africa/africannews/2014/08/27/us-voices-surprise-as-uae-hits-militia-in-libya