 Apparently formidable , the Libyan military disposition in Chad was marred by serious flaws . The Libyans were prepared for a war in which they would provide ground and air support to their Chadian allies , act as assault infantry , and provide reconnaissance . By 1987 , however , Muammar Gaddafi had lost his allies , exposing Libya 's inadequate knowledge of the area . Libyan garrisons came to resemble isolated and vulnerable islands in the Chadian Sahara . Also important was the low morale among the troops , who were fighting in a foreign country , and the structural disorganization of the Libyan army , which was in part induced by Gaddafi 's fear of a military coup against him . This fear led him to avoid the professionalization of the armed forces . 
