Who remembers Libya? Who recalls how the US became embroiled in this civil war only then to quickly lose interest? But sadly Americans vividly remember Benghazi and the horrible loss of a US consulate, the death of a respected US diplomat, killing of three security personnel and the throwing of the American flag into the pyres of a failed policy.
Since the so-called Arab Spring of 2011, and now for more than a decade, the North African country of Libya has been engulfed in civil conflict of its own making but originally stirred and supported by the former Obama administration, Britain's prime minister David Cameron, and France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy.
For all the right reasons, Western countries and later Nato militarily intervened in the forsaken sand dunes of Libya to topple the brutal regime of Colonel Moammar Gaddafi. While Gaddafi had ruled Libya as a tyrant since 1969 and served as a patron saint to international terrorist groups, Libya's oil wealth and strategic location put the country off limits for any regime change actions beyond sharp rhetorical criticism.
But after Libya's involvement in the downing of Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland and the killing of 270 civilians just before Christmas 1988, Gaddafi reentered the cross hairs of global attention especially from the United States, Britain and Israel.
In early 2011, Gaddafi's regime was rocked by revolt from his own people by whom he was deposed and brutally murdered by Libyan militants in October 2011. Eight months of punishing Nato attacks in support of the Libyan opposition toppled his 42-year rule.
But the West's right reasons to overthrow Gaddafi turned to horribly wrong results which still haunt Libya to this day. The foreign destabilisation of a basically tribal society has unravelled into the current chaos.
During a recent Security Council meeting, Stephanie Koury, the UN's person on the ground in Tripoli told delegates, "Over the past two months, the situation in Libya has deteriorated quite rapidly in terms of political, economic and security stability."
She stressed, "Extremist organisations maintain access and a presence in Libya by leveraging their connections with local and transnational organised crime." Such groups are involved in both localised violence, coercion and human trafficking networks.
A report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres underscores, "Libya remained a country of destination and transit for migrants and refugees. According to the International Organization for Migration, the number of migrants in Libya stood at 725,304 as of May 2024."
Migrants come across the Sahara from West African states and Sudan in a bid to cross the Mediterranean to enter Europe illegally.
Since the formal end of the civil war, Libya has been divided into two rival administrations; the enclave near the capital Tripoli hosts the government of National Unity, the UN-recognised entity which is also backed by Turkey. The larger eastern and southern regions remain largely run by the Benghazi based Government of National Stability of the maverick General Haftar. They are backed by Egypt and Russia. A small sector is controlled by Islamic State terrorists.
Mr Guterres warns, "Libya has become a ground for rivalry among regional and international actors motivated by geopolitical, political and economic interests, as well as competition extending beyond Libya. This development is a threat to sovereignty and stability of Libya."
US Deputy UN Ambassador Robert Wood stressed, "We echo the secretary-general's deep concern about the political stalemate and risk of further political division … Rather, it is imperative the parties negotiate their differences in the interest of national unity."
As the UN's on-site representative Ms Koury stated, "The status quo is not sustainable. In the absence of renewed political talks leading to a unified government and elections, you see where this is heading, greater political, financial and security instability, entrenched political and territorial divisions, and greater domestic and regional instability."
Americans rightly remember the Benghazi debacle during the conflict. Here well-armed Islamic militants attacked the US consulate in Benghazi, on the night of Sept 11, 2012. Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamic jihadi faction, fought a pitched battle with special forces defenders. Yet, despite the ominous date of Sept 11, an American diplomatic post in vulnerable North Africa did not receive requested upgraded security from Hillary Clinton's State Department.
The killing of ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans at the consulate remains shadowed in mystery but stands as a grim testament to security unpreparedness mired in coverups.
John J Metzler is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defence issues.