The State of Libya, once a happy nation / Samuel Thomas

The State of Libya, Once a Happy Nation. It may take time to fix the damage done by Libya's civil war, but it will also require a significant amount of investment. The cost of the destruction wrought by the conflict will one day be counted as the value of investment that is required to achieve recovery. Libya's extensive energy resources and relatively small population, along with the determination of the European Union to use its military and financial resources to stabilise its near neighbour, are factors that count towards long-term optimism that this recovery will be achieved. Two of the West's most pressing foreign policy priorities, the fight against Islamic State (IS) and stemming the refugee crisis, have increased senior level focus on Libya in the past year, improving chances for stabilisation in the long run.