Quick Reaction Force, which are teams made up of civilian technical specialists,” he said.

Phase 2 efforts were to help aid the Libyan government to integrate militias and veterans of the fighting, including consolidating weapons into secure facilities and assisting in the destruction of items that the Libyans deemed in excess of their security requirements.

Such actions were likely not supported by the jihadist rebels.

The third phase would have seen the U.S. helping to ensure the Libyan met modern standards, including updating storage facilities, improving security and implementing safety management practices.

The U.S. efforts clearly failed.

In March 2013, the United Nations released a report revealing that weapons from Libya to extremists were proliferating at an “alarming rate,” fueling conflicts in Mali, Syria, Gaza and elsewhere.

Some in the news media have likenedfor governor in 1986 when the coalition risked drawing the ire of the Democratic Party by supporting an independent candidate.

In 1988, Vermont’s Rainbow Coalition backed Sanders over the Democratic Party’s incumbent candidate for Congress, with the bid paying off when Sanders won the race and became the longest-serving independent in congressional history.

Jackson said he appreciates the way Sanders “takes positions that expand the conversation,” referencing Sanders’ stance as early as the 1980s calling for recognition of Cuba and of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.

Shared long-term agenda

What did Jackson and his Rainbow Coalition see in Sanders that prompted the group to challenge mainstream Democrats by backing Sanders’ early races?

Rainbow, especially in Vermont, stressed progressive, socialist-style politics, with many in the coalition wanting even to create a third party or