What was Barack Obama’s ‘worst mistake’? President singles out failure to plan for Libya’s future
Libya descended into near-anarchy, ruled by rival militias vying for power while Islamic State has gained influence in the country.
Barack Obama says the biggest mistake of his presidency was the lack of planning for the aftermath of the fall of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, with the country spiralling into chaos and grappling with violent extremists.
Reflecting on his legacy in a Fox News interview aired on Sunday, Obama said his “worst mistake” was “probably failing to plan for the day after what I think was the right thing to do in intervening in Libya”.
Last month, Obama made a searing critique of British Prime Minister David Cameron and former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy for their roles in the bombing campaign they led in Libya.
Cameron became “distracted” and Sarkozy wanted to promote his country during the 2011 Nato-led military intervention, Obama said in an interview with The Atlantic magazine.
Since the downfall of Gaddafi, who was killed in a popular uprising, Libya descended into near-anarchy, ruled by rival militias vying for power while the Islamic State group has gained influence in the country.
The head of a UN-backed unity government arrived earlier this month in Tripoli to begin garnering support for his government.