Italy 'ready to fight' in Libya if needed
Italy would be ready to join a UN-led force to battle "an active terrorist threat" after recent advances by a faction in Libya that has sworn loyalty to Islamic State militants, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Friday. In an interview with SkyTG24 television, Gentiloni said Italy backed efforts by United Nations special envoy Bernardino Leon to bring warring factions to the table to try to broker a ceasefire.
But he said should talks fail, Italy "is ready to fight naturally in the context of an international mission". "We cannot accept the idea that there's an active terrorist threat only a few hours from Italy by boat." The situation in Libya, already chaotic, "is deteriorating", Gentiloni said, adding that Italy "cannot underestimate" the possibility of an attack by Islamic State militants.
