Airstrikes against Libyan Islamist militants that U.S. officials said were staged by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates could mark an escalation of a regional struggle over the future of the Arab world.
Arab responsibility for the attacks would add to a picture of the West's regional allies acting increasingly independently in the absence of decisive U.S. involvement, seeking security goals with which Washington might not agree.
Egypt publicly denied involvement in the attacks on targets in its western neighbor, and sensitivity over the strikes led to confusing statements from the administration in Washington.