The Daesh terrorist group's attempts to capture oil resource in Libya may be more about spreading chaos than providing a revenue source for the group, according to Dr. Ethan Chorin, CEO of Perim Associates, which provides economic analysis and strategic advice to companies and governments.
The United States said on Wednesday, that it was considering sending troops to Libya if it is a matter of "protect[ing] the American people" from Daesh, without providing further details. According to Chorin, however, the situation is different from Syria, where the United States has deployed ground forces.
"It's not quite the same situation as in Syria, where one could actually market the oil. I think the main issue in Libya is one of causing chaos and disrupting Libya's capacity to do anything, which essentially creates a massive vacuum from which to operate," Chorin told Radio Sputnik.
Chorin added that the two sides of the Libyan civil war, which recently agreed on coordinating a unity government, should not be pushed together to reach a compromise. He added that the General National Congress (GNC) forces focused in Tripoli, could themselves be aligned with Daesh.
"It's effectively been commandeered by forces, which if they are not implicitly aligned with [Daesh], are being manipulated by it," Chorin said of the GNC forces.
Pushing the GNC and the internationaly recognized secular government together, then could prolong the conflict, according to Chorin.