No Result
View All Result
Sunday, October 12, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya: a report

bySami Zaptia
June 26, 2017
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya: a report

By Libya Herald reporter.

156-ISIS in Libya report by Pack-Smith-Mezran-260617

London, 26 June 2017:

A report on the origins of ISIS in Libya concludes that Western policy must seek to get Libyan militias and local councils to take ownership of governance and justice issues, rather than merely directing them to fight ISIS or other jihadists. It adds that ISIS is a symptom–rather than a cause–of broader Libyan problems, especially weak governance.

The report, The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya, by Jason Pack, Rhiannon Smith, Karim Mezran, examine ISIS’s pre-history, birth, expansion, consolidation, and dispersal in Libya, as well as the broader political context of the country. It  offers advice and recommendations for how Western governments and militaries should approach jihadist actors globally.

RELATED POSTS

Aldabaiba proposes new Road Map for holding elections, loans and land for youth and money for healthcare for war wounded

Cooperation agreements reached between Libyan and the Greek pharmaceutical and medical companies: Tripoli Chamber of Commerce

For the past three decades, the 62-page report states, Libya has been a rich recruiting ground for global jihad. Investigating the precursors and then subsequent evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and other extremist actors throughout this period presents actionable insights into how jihadist actors coalesce; how they interfere in post-conflict state building; the threats they pose to civilians, nascent economies, and external states; and finally, what complexities remain when their hold on territory has been eradicated, but their adherents have not been killed nor their ideology debunked.

Over the last three years, the report continues, ISIS has become the enemy of the vast majority of the Libyan people. By ignoring Libyan tribal norms–killing too many people and brutally crushing resistance–ISIS first lost the city of Derna in early 2015, and then later, its stronghold in the city of Sirte in late 2016.

This fits into a larger regional dynamic, whereby ISIS’s brutality has tended to backfire, while its administrative capacity has won it support. As such, ISIS initially thrived in vulnerable localities in Libya because it exploited local cleavages and because previous central governments were reluctant to devolve power to local authorities, the report says.

Surveying this history, the report concludes that Western policy must seek to get militias and local councils to take ownership of governance and justice issues, rather than merely directing them to fight ISIS or other jihadists.

True national reconciliation and inclusiveness in Libya, especially between formerly pro-Qaddafi actors and rebels, and between anti-Islamist and pro-Islamist actors, is required to end the cycle of statelessness and radicalization in Libya, the report states.

Significantly, this report sheds light on Libya’s constantly evolving position within the global jihadist networks connecting Afghanistan, Iraq, Europe, and North Africa. It is out of this milieu that Salman Abedi, the British-Libyan suicide bomber involved in the May 22, 2017, Manchester Arena attack, sprung. His father supported the al-Qaeda aligned Libyan Islamic Fighting Group in the 1990s, and it was a natural progression for Salman to transition from that milieu to ISIS, the report says.

As western governments address this constantly evolving threat, they must understand that there is no such thing as a purely military strategy to defeat ISIS in Libya. The group is a symptom–rather than a cause–of broader Libyan problems, especially weak governance.

The dysfunctional tyranny exercised by Libyan militias is at the heart of the country’s instability over the past five years and contributed to attracting ISIS. Therefore, the report explains, any anti-ISIS strategy for Libya cannot be based on counterterror efforts alone. International and Libyan policy must treat the root causes that made Libya’s governance vacuum an effective incubator for jihadist operations.

Tags: featuredIS DAESH ISIS

Related Posts

Attorney General orders arrests at Jumhouria bank branch for embezzlement
Libya

Two detained in Aman bank Ajdabiya branch for LD 1.063 million fraud to trade in foreign currency

October 10, 2025
Nearly 11,000 migrants repatriated from Libya and 3,165 Mediterranean fatalities: IOM
Libya

IOM identifies 894,890 migrants in Libya from 45 nationalities in May-July 2025 reporting period – 18 percent up on 2024

October 10, 2025
Attorney General orders arrests at Jumhouria bank branch for embezzlement
Libya

Director of Documentary Credit Department and his Deputy at Libyan Foreign Bank detained

October 10, 2025
Omar Al-Mukhtar University signs three MoUs with Malaysian academic institutions
Libya

Omar Al-Mukhtar University signs three MoUs with Malaysian academic institutions

October 10, 2025
Attorney General orders arrests at Jumhouria bank branch for embezzlement
Libya

Acting Director of Benghazi’s Hawari General Hospital in 2018-19 detained for LD 1.48 million medicines and supply corruption

October 5, 2025
GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU
Libya

Aldabaiba receives Indonesia’s Deputy Foreign Minister – strengthening cooperation discussed

October 5, 2025
Next Post

Zawia militiamen held in Saudi Arabia on terror charges: report

Kidnappers in bid to force Tunisians to free alleged Libyan drug smuggler

ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • GNU to take oath at Benghazi HoR session and budget to be approved at Tripoli session: GNU

    Libya and UAE discuss resumption of flights – Airline delegations to visit Libya soon to discuss flight resumption dates

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Eni North Africa resumes exploratory drilling in offshore area D (mn41) northwest of Libya – after 5-year hiatus

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Bilateral Chamber to hold high-level U.S.-Libya Ministerial Roundtable in Houston on 13 October

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Dollar exchange rate falls to Libyan Dinar in black-market four days after end of deadline for withdrawal of old LD 5 and LD 20 notes

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Air traffic increasing over Kufra Airport airspace – up to 100 international airliners per day

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

Two detained in Aman bank Ajdabiya branch for LD 1.063 million fraud to trade in foreign currency

IOM identifies 894,890 migrants in Libya from 45 nationalities in May-July 2025 reporting period – 18 percent up on 2024

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.