Egypt has now launched airstrikes against the “Tripoli Province” of the Islamic State in Libya. Â The brutal beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians on Sunday precipitated Egyptian President al-Sisi to vow revenge. And revenge is what began overnight.
“These cowardly actions will not undermine our determination. Egypt and the whole world are in a fierce battle with extremist groups carrying extremist ideology and sharing the same goals. Egypt preserves the right to respond, with the appropriate manner and timing, in order to carry out retribution on those killers and criminals who are stripped of the most basic of human values.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Related link to previous beheading story.
The Egyptian Armed Forces General Command announced the airstrikes. They coordinated the bombings with the Libyan government, according to Fox News. Officials stated that about 50 men were killed.
The New York Times wrote,
“In a statement Monday morning, the Egyptian military said that it had conducted airstrikes at dawn against training camps and arms depots of the Islamic State group in Libya, but it did not provide further details. The Foreign Ministry said that Egyptian warplanes had struck Derna, a town in eastern Libya that is a hub of Islamist militancy. It is also close to the Egyptian border, well within the range of the jets.”Â
The right of revenge
Revenge is considered a right under Shariah law, and Egypt, along with Jordan, have now been personally wronged by ISIS. The acts of revenge can last as long as the parties involved choose.
The Egyptian President is U.S. trained. He made an unprecedented speech on New Years Day, calling for the Arab world to reject terrorism and extremism. He also visited the Coptic Cathedral  of St. Mark on Monday to express his condolences for the bloody deaths of their brothers. The 21 men murdered were poor Egyptian Christians who had gone to Libya to find work.
Egypt is battling a porous southern Sinai border  (sounds familiar?) where militant groups that have sworn allegiance to ISIS are smuggling arms from Libya. One month from now, Egypt is supposed to host a summit in the Sinai to attract foreign investment at a time when their economy is in need of revitalization.
The Egyptian President is not well-liked by the Obama Administration because his government rose to power by removal of the Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammad Morsi. His government then banned the Muslim Brotherhood, labelling them a terrorist organization.
It appears yet another Arab state has had enough of  Obama’s incompetent leadership and taken action on their own.
This story was originally posted for Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children.
