Fight Against ISIS: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

There were major setbacks in the fight against ISIS this week. Just one day after a US air strike mistook Syrian civilians for Islamic State fighters – a mistake that cost nearly 60 lives – France reported that they lost three soldiers in a helicopter accident in Libya. Working with the US and UK, France has been advising Libyan forces that are loyal to Commander Khalifa Haftar, and have thus had to battle ISIS and various offshoots in Benghazi for the last two years. The Benghazi Defense Brigades, who are considered new kids on the block as far as Islamist groups go, are claiming responsibility for shooting the helicopter down, but French and Libyan officials have yet to confirm. Although France believes the victims were exclusively French, Libya is also claiming 4 lost lives in the crash as well.

Nutshell: The Origins Of ISIS