UAE Airstrike on Libya Without U.S. Approval “a Very Big Deal”

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In The Media

UAE Airstrike on Libya Without U.S. Approval “a Very Big Deal”

It is unusual for a U.S. ally to launch airstrikes without informing the United States.

By Frederic Wehrey

Published on Aug 27, 2014

Source: Radio France International

The United Arab Emirates refused to comment Tuesday after U.S. officials said its warplanes had secretly bombed Islamist positions in Libya. American officials say the UAE recently used Egyptian bases to carry out two rounds of air strikes on Tripoli .

Frederic Wehrey, who served as a U.S. military attaché in Libya, is now with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He told RFI’s Michel Arseneault that it’s unusual for a U.S. ally to launch airstrikes without informing the United States.

This interview was originally broadcast on Radio France International.

About the Author

Frederic Wehrey

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Frederic Wehrey is a senior fellow in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his research focuses on governance, conflict, and security in Libya, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf.

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