#4. Puts Malta within range of Libyan/Russian guns and missiles. Happened before.
Russia in Syria controls a lot of the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Time or Manpad missiles to our “allies” in Libya thru whoever is helping them. Make it another Afghanistan Stingerfest in which the Soviets/Russians not only lost about 60 mixed aircraft (planes and helicopters), but also air dominance and mountain-top Spetnaz landing places.
History is very interesting. Please try reading some of it from the geo-strategic point of view.
Now imagine they are ‘unloading’ something similar on cartels and BLM.
What for? You can’t leverage unimportant goals against someone’s important goals this way.