New York – Morocco will reportedly participate in a US-led international coalition against the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Libya.
The United States-led coalition in cooperation with France has requested Morocco to join and provide “logistical support,” according to Moroccan daily Al-Massae in its Monday issue.
“Morocco is asked to provide logistical support to the coalition under US command, in which France participates,” the daily noted.
Libya has been under a series of recent terrorist attacks perpetrated by ISIS, which have prompted the U.S. and France to create a military coalition to counter the threat posed by the terrorist organization.
According to the same source, the new international coalition will be formed in the next 30 days, and will reportedly include Morocco.
But the new coalition does not enjoy the unanimous support of other European countries. In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro on January 15, Italian Foreign Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, weighed in on the possible outcome of a new coalition to intervene in Libya, saying it would be a “big mistake.”
“In the current phase it’s not possible. It would be a serious mistake. Americans and Europeans are squaring their bets on the stabilization of the country,” Minister Gentiloni said.
If we had to intervene against terrorism, we would wish to do so after a request by the Libyan government in order to support it,” he added.
According to Gentiloni, “we must not underestimate the threat” of terrorism in Lybia, but neither “describe Libya as an ISIS province”.
Morocco’s intelligence services have helped thwart a number of national and international terrorist attacks in the last few months.
The French Foreign Ministry praised Moroccan secret services for their assistance in tracking the whereabouts of mastermind of the Paris attacks last November.
Following an intelligence report of the growing presence of ISIS militants in Libya, the threat of terrorist attacks has increased in the North African country and its neighbors, especially Morocco, where ISIS has been actively attempting to recruit more jihadists.
