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On December 19, 2016, the Tunisian extremist Anis Amri drove a truck into a Christmas market in the German capital, killing 12. Police shot him dead four days later near Milan, Italy. Soon after, ISIS released a selfie-video he prerecorded from a Berlin bridge claiming he was acting on its behalf. Investigative files obtained by CNN showed he was part of an ISIS recruitment network inside Germany.

Overnight on January 18-19, two B-2 bombers making a 30-hour round trip from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, dropped 100 precision munitions on the camps, killing more than 80 ISIS fighters, according to initial Pentagon estimates.

In a news conference on January 19, outgoing Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, "Importantly, these strikes were directed against some of ISIL's external plotters, who were actively planning operations against our allies in Europe ... and may also have been connected with some attacks that have already occurred in Europe."

The United States is still working to confirm whether the external plotters suspected of links to the Berlin attacks were killed in the strikes, a US official told CNN.

The sources did not elaborate on the nature of the links to the Berlin attacker, but one possibility is that an individual or individuals at the Libyan camps were in communication with him.

During investigations into Amri before the Berlin attack, two Libyan cell phone numbers were flagged by the German foreign intelligence service BND for further investigation, Germany's Ministry of Interior revealed last week. In a chronology it released, the ministry also stated Amri had wanted to join ISIS in Syria, Iraq or Libya and was believed to have lived in Berlin with a Moroccan national whose paternal cousins were said to be ISIS members in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

Pentagon officials say among those present in the camps were ISIS fighters who had fled from the group's previous stronghold in Sirte who were trying to reconstitute themselves and conduct training.

"We've been watching them for some time," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said. "These were groups of fighters who have been on the move. They have not stayed in the same place for extended periods of time. And this was an opportunity that presented itself that we wanted to take advantage of."

CNN's Laura Goehler and Nadine Schmidt contributed to this report.

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US bombing in Libya was linked to Berlin truck attack - CNN

By Ayman Saad

HAMMAMAT, Tunisia

Libyas political dialogue committee on Tuesday called for appointing a new head to Libyas UN-backed unity government -- from outside the governments presidential council -- and to drastically reduce the number of presidential council members.

The move came at the conclusion of a two-day committee meeting held in the Tunisian city of Hammamat and attended by signatories of the 2015 Skhirat Agreement, which called for the establishment of the unity government.

The meeting was also attended by members of Libyas Tripoli-based State Council, political party representatives and a number of independent political figures.

Members of Libyas Tobruk-based parliament, however, along with the UNs Libya envoy Martin Kobler, refrained from attending the meeting.

"We have agreed to appoint a new head for the unity government from outside the presidential council, as the head of the government should also assume the post of supreme commander of the army," read a final statement issued in the wake of the meeting.

"Participants also agreed on the need to reduce the number of presidential council members from nine to three," it added.

The development comes only three days after a meeting of Libyas neighbors -- held at the ministerial level -- in Egyptian capital Cairo.

Saturdays meeting of Libyas neighbors was attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Chad and Niger.

UN envoy Kobler, Arab League chief Ahmed Abul-Gheit and African Union envoy Jakaya Kikwete also attended the event.

In late 2015, Libyas rival governments -- one in Tobruk and the other in capital Tripoli -- signed a UN-backed agreement calling for the establishment of a unity government.

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Dialogue committee calls for reform of Libya unity govt - Anadolu Agency

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The Maltese plan is less about managing migration and more about reducing the numbers arriving in Europe at any cost.

This time last year, Europe was just starting the discussions which led to the refugee deal with Turkey, under which migrants arriving in Greece from Turkey are sent back, with Europe resettling a corresponding number of successful asylum applicants from Turkey in return. While far from perfect, that deal was successful in reducing the pressure on Greece and the Balkan countries from the high volume of new arrivals in the year leading up to the deal.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, discussions are now beginning over another possible deal, which would address the Central Mediterranean route of migration from Libya to Italy. Joseph Muscat, the Prime Minister of Malta (which lies between those two countries), has proposed a system under which Libyan and European vessels would intercept migrant boats in Libyan waters, returning them to Libyan ports. In theory, these migrants would be processed by UNHCR and IOM officials funded by the EU. Those that qualify for asylum would be afforded passage to Europe, while those who do not would be resettled in Libya or repatriated to their countries of origin.

The Maltese idea, already discussed at the level of Permanent Representatives of the member states, will be on the table at the EU Council in Malta on 3 February, with the discussion likely continuing in the Foreign Affairs Council the following Monday. The Commission will likely table its proposal as well. But there are several reasons why the Maltese plan should be rejected.

Libya is not Turkey

Unlike Turkey, Libya is in the midst of a civil war, with three rival governments competing for control of law enforcement bodies. Even with the help of UNHCR/IOM officials, it is madness to expect Libya to be able to implement the EUs plans. The EU has already made this mistake when deciding to extend Operation Sophia (the anti-smuggling operation in the Mediterranean) to Libyan waters, upon approval of the Libyan government. Unsurprisingly, the approval never came. As such, rather than being resettled in Libya or repatriated to their countries of origin, it is far more likely that migrants brought back to Libya will end up in detention centres.

Which brings us to the second point. Again, unlike Turkey, Libya has never even tried to ratify international conventions on human rights. Indeed, violations of basic rights in Libya are one of the main push factors for migration to Europe, and migrants arriving in Italy have reported being abused, starved and even raped in Libyan detention centres. These reports recently led an Italian court to recognise a form of protection (though not refugee status) to Nigerian migrants who had come to Italy after years living in Libya. It would be immoral for the EU to pursue a policy which is likely to increase human rights violations of this kind.

Europe is not genuine

The fact that the EU is ready to consider a plan that has such serious flaws tells us that this is not really about improving processes for managing migration, but about reducing at any cost the numbers of migrants arriving on European shores.

This is partly based on the assumption that those coming from Libya (unlike those coming from Syria through Turkey) are predominantly economic migrants, for whom Europe does not have responsibility. But UNHCR data shows that as much as 45% of those who arrived in Italy in the first three quarters of 2016 could qualify for protection. Given the political climate in Europe, it is almost certain that a way would be found to refuse asylum to these people just as the UK is currently doing in relation to Eritrea.

This is not to say that we shouldnt strike a deal with Libya. In order to have managed and orderly migrations we should have as many deals as possible with our neighbours. But these deals should neither destabilise the governments with which we sign them nor betray our commitment to human rights. A European deal with Libya should therefore focus on improving conditions within the country and ensuring the respect of basic rights of migrants. Some basic guidelines for such a deal have been outlined here.

Getting to the root of the problem

More broadly, if we want to destroy the business model of smugglers, as often proclaimed by mainstream European leaders, we should allow Africans to submit their asylum requests or their visa applications closer to their country of origin, not after crossing the Sahara illegally. Policies aimed at criminalising migrants and limiting avenues for legal migration, which have become the norm in Europe since the mid-1990s, have only benefitted the smugglers and those who profit from cheap, illegal labour from undocumented migrants in Europe.

Instead of doing a dirty deal with Libya, European policymakers should expand legal access to asylum in countries of origin and simultaneously crack down on smuggling networks, to ensure that migrants dont end up in the Libyan hell in the first place.

Read more on: Refugee Crisis,The Middle East and North Africa,North Africa,Libya

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Why a refugee deal with Libya is a bad idea - European Council on Foreign Relations

The bureau said the situation is leading to the slow collapse of the Libyan economy.

Three Maltese companies have been banned from doing business in Libya after their names emerged in a list of companies accused of smuggling money out of the country by Libyas Audit Bureau.

Equitrade Limited of Marsa, Rafak Ltd based in Sliema and AMB Overseas Ltd in San Gwann have been put on a list of 23 Libyan and foreign companies banned from doing business in the north African state.

According to the Audit Bureau, which acts as a kind of regulator on behalf of the Libyan authorities, the companies have had their accounts frozen, as they were being used by Libyan companies to smuggle millions of euros of Libyan money out of the country.

The Audit Bureau claimed the money was being smuggled out through the Libyan companies acting as importers. They opened letters of credit in favour of the foreign companies, including the Maltese ones, which acted as exporters.

The Bureau claimed once the money in hard currency was approved by the Central Bank of Libya and transferred out of Libya, no goods were ever delivered to the country. Often empty containers are sent or containers loaded with worthless goods costing a fraction of the letters of credit.

Once the money was approved,no goods were ever delivered

Apart from the three Maltese companies, the bureau has also banned companies registered in Switzerland, Tunisia, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

Research conducted by this newspaper shows that while Equitrade is fully owned by Maltese shareholders, the other two companies mentioned by the bureau Rafak and AMB Overseas are owned by Mohamed Bakush, a Libyan residing in Tripoli.

When contacted, a spokesman for Equitrade, which according to its website is a leading distributor in Libya for animal health supplements, veterinary pharmaceuticals, horseshoes, tack and polo clotting, said he knew absolutely nothing about the ban.

This is complete news to us and we know nothing about it, the spokesman said.

We have not been notified about anything of this sort, and as far as I know, we are continuing with our trading in Libya, he insisted.

Efforts to reach Mr Bakush proved futile.

His companies, Rafak and AMB Overseas, are listed as trading in various sectors, including engineering, furnishing equipment for the oil industry and exporting medical supplies in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

The Audit Bureaus decision, reported also in the Libyan Herald, said that out of the 10 Libyan companies included in the list, nine had imported nothing despite having letters of credit to the tune of 37 million.

The remaining Libyan company on the list had imported just 80,000 worth of goods when it was issued with a letter of credit to import 8 millions worth.

Criticising the Libyan Central Bank for issuing the letters of credit without any due diligence, the bureau said the situation is leading to the slow collapse of the Libyan economy as a result of the exploitation of the state that the country is suffering from.

Apart from civil war, Libyas economy is being hard hit by a crash in international oil prices and a halt to its oil production.

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Libya bans Maltese firms for 'smuggling money' - Times of Malta

Libyan Forum for Investment and Reconstruction will be held in Londons Lancaster House, London, on next Thursday.

The forum will be organized by the Middle East Association and Developing Markets Associates on behalf of the UN-proposed government, according to a statement by the British Embassy in Libya.

The forum, which includes delegates from Libya and Britain, will discuss investment opportunities in Libyas major sectors, such as oil, healthcare and infrastructure to boost the countrys economy and end the suffering of the Libyans. The statement reads.

Commenting on the event, the British Ambassador in Libya, Peter Millett said, we are very pleased to have helped with organizing this forum, which is an important step towards reinvigorating the Libyan economy. Investment in electricity, water, and healthcare is critical to alleviating the suffering of the Libyan people. After five years of violence and political divisions, the Libyan people deserve better.

Millett indicated that the Libyan delegates come from different businesses and organizations from all over Libya, pointing out that the forum will kick off with a plenary session, outlining Libyas reconstruction and investment priorities.

"Then it will be followed by a series of breakout sessions discussing key sectors and the efforts necessary to strengthen governance, enhance security and revitalize civil society as critical components of Libyas reconstruction agenda." He further explained.

hosted an economic dialogue for Libyans on October 31 November 01, 2016 that included delegates from the UK, the US and the UN as well as the World Fund and the World Bank together with representatives from the Presidential Council, the Central Bank of Libya, the UN-proposed government, the Audit Bureau of Libya, and the National Oil Corporation.

The meeting discussed joint efforts to help boost the financial capabilities of Libya in a bid to help the country recover from the current economic hurdles.

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London hosts Libyan Forum for Investment and Reconstruction - The Libya Observer