U.S. air strikes in Libya inefficient against ISIL - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Sept 23 (Interfax) - All the U.S. air strikes in Libya can do is exacerbate the national situation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.
"Some countries are bombing certain Libyan territories, while others deploy their special operations forces with the task of training paramilitary groups. The only outcome of this approach is deepening disagreements and disconnection between Libyans," Gatilov said at a ministerial meeting on Libya in New York.
U.S. aircraft are delivering strikes on positions of the ISIL terrorist group (banned in Russia) in Libya. The U.S. command said that approximately 150 air raids of the kind were delivered in the past 45 days.
"Deterrence of escalating threats, first and foremost terrorism, is a vital need. In the case of Libya, these are not only Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Ansar al-Sharia but also ISIL, which has impregnated the entire region and lands beyond it," the Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Gatilov's as saying in a report posted on its website on Friday.
"Due to unprotected borders and a lack of efficient law enforcement authorities, terrorists easily come and go in Libya. Still we underscore every time that any measures involving external support must strictly comply with international law and the UN Charter," Gatilov said.
He called for strict compliance with and solid monitoring of the arms embargo on Libya.
"We have repeatedly underlined the need for a systemic and consistent approach. Things are not altogether satisfactory in this respect," the deputy minister said.