US issues contradictory statements on Egypt’s role in Libyan air strikes

On Tuesday night, the United States revised earlier statements asserting that Egypt and the UAE were involved in air strikes in Libya.

During the US State Department daily briefing on Tuesday, Spokesperson Jen Psaki said, while discussing the situation in Libya, “we understand that there were air strikes undertaken in recent days by the UAE and Egypt.”

Intense clashes have been unfolding in Libya between militant groups and forces loyal to the renegade former military general, Khalifa Haftar, for months. Egypt had voiced its concern over the situation, considering the unrest at its western borders a matter of national security.

Psaki reiterated the US view that foreign intervention in Libya would exacerbate divisions and undermine its democratic transition.

The State Department, however, issued a statement later on Tuesday amending Psaki’s earlier remarks, stating that her comment was "intended to refer to countries reportedly involved, not speak for them."

Pentagon Spokesperson Admiral John Kerby had also confirmed earlier that Egypt and the UAE were involved in the air strikes.

A Libyan militant group had accused the two countries of involvement in an air strike that targeted militant locations in Tripoli on Saturday, killing 10 fighters and injuring others as reported in local news.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry have both denied involvement in the air strikes.

The New York Times quoted four senior American officials on Tuesday confirming that Egypt and the UAE had secretly launched air strikes in Libya twice in the past week. The report added that the strikes were carried out without consulting with the United States