By Libya Herald staff.
Tobruk, 9 March 2015:
A member of the European parliament, Gianluca Buonanno, has been in Tobruk and Beida for . . .[restrict]talks with the Libya officials on the fight against the Islamic State as well as relations between Libya and the EU.
Buonanno, a member of Italy’s right-wing Northern League and of it the European parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee, has become particularly concerned with the threat from the Islamic State and the possibility of its members infiltrating into Italy by joining illegal immigrants crossing the Mediterranean. He was in Torbuk today to meet with members of the House of Representatives and discuss this and other issues.
He also met General Khalifa Hafter.
Just over a week ago, the head of the Libyan government’s information authority, Omar Gawairi warned it had information that IS planned to send terrorists to Italy hidden among the other illegal migrants.
Buonanno is also reported to favour ending the UN arms embargo on Libya so that it can import weapans to fight IS.
According to his political office in Italy, the object of his visit is to assess”
- The general situation in Libya;
- The arms embargo preventing the Libyan authorities fighting against IS;
- Terrorism and “illegal entities [such] as the Muslim Brotherhood”;
- Relation between Libya and EU and EU member states; and
- Ways the EU can help Libya;
Buonanno, due back in Italy tomorrow, was accompanied on his trip by Raffaele Esposito from the Siracusa Chamber of Commerce in Sicily. [/restrict]
