Premier Matteo Renzi huddled
with Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Interior Minister
Angelino Alfano and Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti at his
office in Rome to discuss the situation in Libya on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Italy's commitment to a strong
diplomatic campaign at the United Nations level was reiterated.
On Tuesday Renzi ruled out for the time being the
possibility of Italy conducting a military intervention in Libya
to head off the threat posed by jihadists linked to ISIS on the
other side of the Mediterranean.
"It's not the time for a military intervention," Renzi
told Mediaset television Monday.
"We've been saying at every level that Libya is out of
control for three years and we'll keep doing so," Renzi added.
"The international community has all the necessary
instruments to intervene if it wants to. Our proposal is to wait
for the UN Security Council.
"The strength of the UN is decidedly superior to that of
the radical militias".
Last week Gentiloni had said that Italy might participate
in a United Nations-mandated operation in Libya.
But on Monday Renzi called for calm after the beheading of
a group of Egyptian Copts in Libya on Sunday and threats that
ISIS was now "south of Rome".
In response to the tensions, Italy closed its embassy in
Libya and brought back about 60 Italians early Monday.
On Tuesday a senior member of Palestinian Islamic group
Hamas, Salah Bardawil, warned Italy not to embark on a military
intervention in Libya, saying this would be considered "a new
Crusade against Arab countries and Muslims".
Bardawil was quoted by the Palinfo agency as warning "some
countries, such as Italy" against using the "excuse of fighting
terrorism" to meddle in Libya.
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