An EU military plan to turn the bloc into a foreign superpower has been leaked in documents in Brussels.
The European Union will send a military delegation to Libya in an attempt to bolster the bloc's influence as a foreign superpower.
A leaked document revealed that Brussels is finalizing plans for "large-scale" operations in the North African state in the coming months. It will pit the EU against Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, all of which are implicated in Libya's brutal civil war. The internal report, obtained by the EU Observer website, highlights the need for an EU military mission in the region to curb trafficking in people and weapons.
In this context, it is necessary to consider joining the Joint Defense Policy and the Minister of Defense on military affairs so as not to leave the entire scope of activities in the military field to third countries. ".
"In the long term and when conditions permit, it is necessary to consider the involvement of the army CSDP with the task of supporting reform of the security sector in the army."
It also implies that the same country "maintains a strong military priority in Libya and provides training to selected armed forces in western Libya", especially the coast guard and navy. .
Last year, Turkey sent troops to Libya and the country's defense minister posted on social media about the migrant interception off the Libyan coast.
The EU fears Ankara could gain leverage over the bloc by taking control of the central Mediterranean migration route.
It took control of the Greek route, one of the main routes used by illegal migrants to reach Europe.
The EU is hoping to be able to compete with Turkey's influence in the region, especially among Libya's naval institutions.
Brussels hopes the provision of training programs and new equipment can help the bloc become a more dominant force.
Libya's long coastline was once a base for traffickers who bring thousands of migrants to the EU each year.
It also has a vast desert controlled by tribes, militias and traffickers with links to terrorist networks.
The document states: “The Libyan authorities expressed the need for EU assistance to Libya's borders, including to the south.
"If the Libyan authorities agree, this could open up the possibility of gaining air rights over EU aerial surveillance assets on Libyan territory."
EU ambassadors are expected to discuss the plan soon, but the Commission's foreign affairs department has yet to officially publish the proposals.
France is expected to be one of the main backers of the military mission to Libya.
Foreign Minister Jean Yves Le Drian echoed the sentiments of the EU report during his speech at the United Nations Security Council in New York on Thursday.
“It is time to implement a progressive, balanced and orderly timetable for the departure of foreign elements from both sides,” he said.
"The European Union, Italy and France stand ready to do more to help train and equip the Libyan coast guard."
Will they achieve the goal they are aiming for, that is the question that thousands of people have asked when this information was revealed. An EU plan sounds great, is it really as successful as they want it to be?
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