Egypt and United Arab Emirates Said to Have Secretly Carried Out Libya Airstrikes

Twice in the last seven days, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have
secretly teamed up to launch airstrikes against Islamist-allied
militias battling for control of Tripoli, Libya, four senior American
officials said, in a major escalation between the supporters and
opponents of political Islam.

The United States, the officials said, was caught by surprise: Egypt
and the Emirates, both close allies and military partners, acted
without informing Washington or seeking its consent, leaving the Obama
administration on the sidelines. Egyptian officials explicitly denied
the operation to American diplomats, the officials said.

The strikes are the most high-profile and high-risk salvo unleashed in
a struggle for power that has broken out across the region in the
aftermath of the Arab Spring revolts, pitting old-line Arab autocrats
against Islamists.