Political instability in Libya gives ISIS a foothold

President Barack Obama said yesterday the United States will continue working to thwart Islamic State’s (ISIS) growth in Libya. But analysts warn until the country has a functioning government, the terror group is working in territory fertile for militancy.

“We are working with our other coalition partners to make sure that, as we see opportunities to prevent ISIS from digging in Libya, we take them,” Obama said during a news conference yesterday.

As an example of his willingness to order military action against ISIS, Obama referenced a U.S. airstrike last year that killed a top ISIS leader, Abu Nabil, in Libya.

Islamic State militants gained a foothold in Libya after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011 left the country with a leadership vacuum. The extremist group took control of Gaddafi’s hometown, Sirte, and threatens to keep expanding.

“Terror groups feed off political instability,” said Paul Sullivan, a Middle East expert at Georgetown University. “Political instability creates a vacuum, which allows this group to take root.”

In an effort to regain control of the country, the United Nations and Libya’s presidential council began in December to establish a unity government that will bridge the gap between the country’s warring parties. But the plan has suffered numerous delays due to disagreements within the parliament over the structure of the new government.

“Every day lost in political dialogue is a day of gain for Daesh,” said Martin Kobler, head of the UN support mission in Libya, referring to the extremist group by its Arabic name.

Obama agreed, saying Libya could be successful if it had a functioning government.

On Sunday, a UN council presented a new list of cabinet nominees, but Libya’s House of Representatives has yet to approve it.

In oil-rich Libya, ISIS targets its attacks on the major source of the country’s revenue. On Jan. 21, militants set fire to oil storage tanks in northern Libya. Two weeks earlier, they burned seven oil storage tanks and killed at least 18 guards.

In 2010, Libya produced 1.65 million barrels of oil a day. Now, its daily average is down to 400,000.

“The tragedy of Libya over the last several years is Libya has a relatively small population and a lot of oil wealth, and could be really successful,” Obama said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.