David Cameron is to hold talks in Indonesia and Malaysia this week to build greater cooperation in the fight against Islamic State. The talks follow reports he is considering sending special forces into Libya, fearing the country is becoming the chief source of terrorism in north Africa, as well as a jumping off point for migrants seeking to enter Europe.

Speaking before his visit, the prime minister said he was keen to explore whether Britain could offer counter-terrorism advice to Indonesia and Malaysia, and suggested the UK could learn from their anti-extremism programmes.



“All of us face a threat from foreign fighters and from increasing radicalisation within our countries and it’s right that we look at what help we can provide to one another,” Cameron said on Sunday. “I think Britain can offer expertise on practical counter-terrorism work – dealing with the threat from foreign fighters and investigating potential terrorist plots.

“I think Britain can learn from Indonesia and Malaysia on the work they have done to tackle the extremist ideology and to build tolerant and resilient societies.”

He added that Isis will only be thwarted if countries unite against “one of the biggest threats our world has faced”.

Cameron is to offer to send British experts to Malaysia and Indonesia to help the two countries disrupt terrorist plots and improve airline security.

The prime minister has for months been expressing concern in private about the situation in Libya, but the case for a further military intervention depends on a political agreement and more stable government with which to cooperate.



It is thought the gunman who shot dead 30 British tourists in Tunisia is known to have been trained in Libya.

Four years ago Britain, France and the US, through Nato-backed no-fly zones and special forces on the ground, played a role in the collapse of the Libyan state after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Alex Salmond, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesman, said on Sunday he was concerned that Britain had not done enough to help Libya create a secure political order after the fall of the Gaddafi regime. Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Salmond cited figures in the Sunday Herald showing the UK had spent 13 times more on bombing Libya than on rebuilding the country.

Official figures show that the eight-month military intervention ordered by Cameron cost £320m. But efforts to stabilise Libya following Gaddafi’s death and the collapse of his government have amounted to just £25m, which has failed to prevent the country from sliding into chaos as feuding militias battle each other.

Possible action could include sending in specialists to help the authorities organise their security operations, as well as military training teams to prepare local troops for the fight against Isis.

In a sign of concern about the state of Libya and Britain’s post-conflict intervention, the House of Commons foreign affairs committee is launching an inquiry into the government’s foreign policy with respect to the north African country. The inquiry has a parallel to the one into the invasion of Iraq, albeit on a much smaller, time-limited and less well resourced scale.

It will look at strategic analysis undertaken before the intervention regarding its implications and consequences; the extent and effectiveness of post-conflict planning by the UK and its allies; and Britain’s engagement with Libya in the aftermath of the fighting in 2011.

The inquiry will also look at the UK’s withdrawal in 2014, and its engagement with the two competing administrations and various militias in Libya since, including the extent to which it is still seen as an ally in the country.