Then and Now: A Look at Libya in the Age of ISIS

When Moammar Gaddafi was killed during the Arab Spring four years ago, many Libyans had hoped their country would be free.

Today, however, Libya is in chaos and the Islamic State dominates eastern parts of the nation. The country has now become the western front in the war against ISIS.

CBN News visited Libya in the summer of 2011, when anti-government forces were fighting to overthrow Gaddafi.

We spent several days with Coptic Christians from Egypt who granted us exclusive access to a Sunday service. They said they were in Libya serving the Libyan people. Most were doctors, nurses, and teachers.

CBN News also visited Derna, a coastal city in eastern Libya, not far from the Egyptian border.

At that time it was apparent that people in eastern Libya were elated to finally be free of Gaddafi, but they knew their freedom would come with a cost--not only in war dead and wounded, but also they knew there would be a long struggle ahead to rebuild their government and their lives.

Little did we know back then that the people of Derna would come to be dominated in 2014 by al Qaeda and members of ISIS.

Back then, a grieving Libyan father who had just buried his soldier son in Benghazi said, "We ask the American people to stand up with us in this affliction, to support us with weapons and international resolutions and money to eliminate this tyrant (Gaddafi)."

Egypt has called for international intervention to defeat ISIS in Libya. The request comes as fears grow about ISIS possibly using Libya as a base to launch attacks against Italy.

But instead of democracy, some Libyans have replaced one form of dictatorial rule with another that is much worse. And instead of freedom of religion, ISIS has brought them the heads of 21 Egyptian Christians.

As a result, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi responded with force, bombing ISIS targets in the port city of Derna.

And as the jihadist army attempts to expand its reach and attack more foreigners, the war front is expanding.

ISIS now faces more aggressive opposition from moderate Muslim governments–not only from the Kurds on its eastern front in Iraq, but also from the Jordanians.

They're striking at the heart of ISIS in Syria, and now the Egyptians are hitting Libya to the west.