U.S., NATO allies to consider military training mission for Libya's security forces

U.S. officials will be discussing with NATO allies the possibility of establishing a military training mission for Libya's security forces.

The revelations come from defense officials, as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Brussels for a meeting of defense chiefs.

According to the Washington Post, Libya has struggled to build its military and police forces since rebels aided by a NATO air-bombing campaign overthrew the country's longtime ruler, Muammar al-Gaddafi, in 2011.

The deteriorating security after the civil war in Libya has become a big concern for Washington, most significantly since the September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. installations in Benghazi.

A senior defense official said the Libyan Government has approached the United States and other countries that participated in the 2011 air campaign asking for help.

According to the report, the official, who conducted the briefing on the condition of anonymity, said the discussions are preliminary.

The official added that if a deal is reached on the training mission, it seems unlikely that it would involve deploying U.S. military trainers to Libya, the report added.