Showing posts with label libya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label libya. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Growing Fears In Libya That Death Toll From Floods May Reach 20,000

 

ABC News: Over 5,200 people feared dead, another 10,000 missing after flooding in Libya, officials say  

One of the worst hit areas has been declared a disaster zone. 

More than 5,200 people are believed to have died in devastating floods across eastern Libya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior said Tuesday. 

Another 10,000 people are believed to be missing, according to Tamer Ramadan, Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "The death toll is huge," Ramadan said during a press briefing on Tuesday. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This disaster is not receiving the coverage that it should. 

Growing Fears In Libya That Death Toll From Floods May Reach 20,000  

Libyans search for families after catastrophic flood -- Reuters  

Morgues overwhelmed in Libya as floods death toll tops 6,000 -- CNN 

‘Sea is constantly dumping bodies’: fears Libya flood death toll may hit 20,000 -- The Guardian  

Before and after satellite images show scale of Libya flood destruction -- Axios 

Libyan floods death toll rises to 6,000 after Storm Daniel bursts dams: What we know -- Yahoo News

Monday, August 28, 2023

Libya's Foreign Minister Fired After Meeting With Israel's Foreign Minister

 

CNN: Libya dismisses foreign minister after meeting with Israeli counterpart 

Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem (CNN)Libya's internationally recognized government dismissed Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush after she met her Israeli counterpart in Rome last week. 

Israel's foreign ministry announced on Sunday night that the meeting had taken place. 

The Libyan foreign ministry rejected reports that the meeting was officially sanctioned and said in a statement that it was "informal," "unprepared" and "did not include negotiations or consultations."

It added that Mangoush "reaffirmed Libya's principles towards the Palestinian cause in a clear and unambiguous manner."  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Libyan PM sacks foreign minister as row over Israel meeting grows (Reuters)  

Update #2: Libya’s Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush dismissed: Sources (Al Jazeera)  

WNU Editor: The reaction within Libya for this informal meeting of Foreign Ministers has been violent .... Protests erupt in Libya over contact with Israel (BBC)

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Dozens Killed In Fighting Between Rival Groups In Libya

 

Al Jazeera: Libya fighting leaves 55 dead, dozens injured: Medics 

Fighting between rival groups began on Monday night in Tripoli, and ended after the release of a commander on Tuesday. 

Tripoli’s worst armed clashes in a year have killed 55 people and wounded 146, Libyan media outlets have reported, as a truce took hold. 

Fighting erupted on Monday night and raged through Tuesday between the influential 444 Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force, two of the many armed groups that have vied for power since the overthrow of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.  

Read more .... 

Dozens Killed In Fighting Between Rival Groups In Libya  

Militia clashes in Libyan capital have killed 45, in city's most intense bout of violence this year -- AP  

Libya Clashes Toll Hits 55 Dead - Medical Agency -- Reuters 

Libya militias battle in Tripoli after commander's arrest -- BBC  

Clashes erupt between militias in Libya, leaving dozens dead -- CBS  

Who are the Libyan militias fighting in Tripoli? -- DW

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Deadly Clashes Between Militias Shake Libya's Capital

 

CNN: At least 23 people dead, 140 injured in violent clashes between rival militias in Libyan capital of Tripoli  

CNN — At least 23 people have died and 140 been injured in violent clashes between rival Libyan militias across the country’s capital of Tripoli, the Libyan Ministry of Health said Saturday. 

Intense fighting erupted in the capital overnight as rival factions exchanged intense gunfire and several loud explosions resounded across the city. 

Pictures and videos circulating on social media show the extent of the clashes with dozens of buildings, including residential ones, destroyed and several cars smashed and burned. 

Libya has been split between warring factions since 2014, following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Moammar Gadhafi.  

Read more .... 

Deadly Clashes Between Militias Shake Libya's Capital  

Deadly battles erupt across Tripoli, raising fears of wider Libya war -- Reuters  

Clashes erupt in Libyan capital, amid fears of a return to civil war -- RFI  

Clashes kill 23 in Libya's capital sparking fears of new armed conflict -- ABC News Australia  

Libya: Deadly clashes shake Tripoli as political crisis deepens, sparks fears of new war -- Middle East Eye

Deadly clashes between rival armed groups erupt in Libyan capital -- Al Jazeera

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Protesters Storm Libya’s Eastern Parliament Building

 

France 24: Protesters storm Libya’s parliament building amid political deadlock, power cuts 

Protesters stormed Libya's parliament building in the eastern city of Tobruk on Friday, demonstrating against deteriorating living conditions and political deadlock, Libyan media reported. 

Several television channels said that protesters had managed to penetrate the building and committed acts of vandalism, while media outlets showed images of thick columns of black smoke coming from its perimeter as angry young protesters burned tyres. 

Other media reports said part of the building had been burned. The parliament building was empty as Friday falls on the weekend in Libya.  

Read more .... 

Protesters Storm Libya’s Eastern Parliament Building  

Angry crowd storm HoR, demand its dissolution -- Libya Observer 

Libya protesters storm parliament building in Tobruk -- Al Jazeera  

Protesters storm Libya’s eastern parliament building in Tobruk, local media reports -- CNN  

Libya’s rival leaders under pressure as protests grow -- The Guardian  

UN condemns protesters who stormed Libya parliament -- Al Jazeera

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Rival Libyan PM Flees Tripoli After Clashes Between Forces

Fathi Bashagha, one of Libya's rival Prime Ministers, left the capital Tripoli on Tuesday following clashes between rival militias.  

DW: Libya rival PM flees capital after militia violence 

Libya’s two governments are both backed by armed groups. Violence erupted in Tripoli after one tried to establish authority there. 

One of Libya’s rival prime ministers was forced to leave the capital Tripoli on Tuesday just hours after he arrived to establish his government there, following clashes between warring militias. 

Former Interior Minister Bashagha had arrived in Tripoli with several ministers, according to his office. 

Fathi Bashagha had been appointed by the country’s eastern parliament, which based in the city of Tobruk, three months ago.  

Read more .... 

Rival Libyan PM Flees Tripoli After Clashes Between Forces  

Clashes break out in Tripoli, drive rival Libyan PM away -- AP 

Libyan rival PM leaves Tripoli after clashes between forces -- Al Jazeera

Libya's Bashagha quits Tripoli after clashes -- Jerusalem Post/Reuters 

Clashes in Tripoli as would-be prime minister attempts to claim power -- The Guardian

Friday, September 3, 2021

Worst Tripoli Fighting In A Year Is Testing Libya Ceasefire

Conflict in Tripoli between the armed groups who vie to control both territory and state institutions would further undermine the prospect of December elections [File: Hazem Ahmed/Reuters] 

Reuters: Worst Tripoli fighting in a year shows limits of Libya peace push 

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Fighting broke out in Tripoli early on Friday between rival armed forces, the heaviest clashes in the Libyan capital since the conflict between eastern and western factions paused a year ago. 

A resident of the Salah al-Din district in southern Tripoli said shooting began at about 2.30 a.m. and continued through the morning with medium and light weapons. 

Conflict in Tripoli between the armed groups who vie to control both territory and state institutions would further undermine the prospect of December elections as part of a plan to end a decade of chaos, violence and division.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Worst Tripoli fighting in a year tests Libya ceasefire (Al Jazeera)  

Update #2: State recognized militias clash in southern outskirt of Tripoli – kidnappings, injuries and deaths reported (Libya Herald) 

WNU Editor: The surprise is not that fighting has broken out. The surprise is that there was semi-peace for almost a year.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

UN Report Says Libya's Interim PM Was Elected Through Bribes

A UN staff member empties a ballot box after delegates vote for Libya's new interim government during LPDF meeting on 5 February 2021 near Geneva (AFP/United Nations Handout) 


Abdul Hamid Dbeibah chosen at forum where delegates were reportedly offered up to $500,000 

The legitimacy of Libya’s new interim prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, has been thrown into doubt by a UN inquiry finding that he allegedly gained power after his supporters offered bribes as high as $200,000 to attract votes. 

His supporters allegedly offered the money in a hotel in Tunis where a UN-selected 75-strong political dialogue forum met to elect an interim prime minister to lead a new unified executive towards national elections in the country in December. 



WNU Editor: And this is the government that is recognized by the international community as legitimate?!?!?!?

Monday, October 12, 2020

Putting OPEC Under More Pressure, Libya Restarts Oil Production At Its Biggest Field

FILE PHOTO: Pipes at the El Sharara oilfield © Reuters / Ismail Zitouny 


Libya has restarted production at its largest field, Sharara, as peace talks began between eastern and western forces. 

The national Oil Corporation announced it had lifted the force majeure on Sharara after reaching an agreement with the Petroleum Facilities Guard to “end the entire obstacles that face Al Sharara Field in a way that guarantees there will be no security breaches and in a way that enables the National Oil Corporation to lift the force majeure status and resume production in Al Sharara Oil Field.” 

Read more .... 


WNU Editor: The war has not ended. This re-opening of oil production and its impact on oil markets will be moot.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Leaked UN Report Says UAE Delivered Weapons To Libya's Haftar Despite A UN Embargo

   UAE dispatched 150 military flights using Russian-made cargo planes to eastern Libya and western Egypt (AFP/File photo)  

Middle East Eye: UAE delivered weapons to Libya's Haftar despite UN embargo  

More than 150 flights ferried arms to Haftar's territory between January and April this year, according to unpublished UN report 

The United Arab Emirates continued to supply military equipment to Libya's eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar despite a United Nations embargo on weapons transfers to the country, according to a confidential UN report. 

The UAE made more than 150 flights to regions controlled by Haftar, mostly in eastern Libya, between January and April in what experts are calling an attempt to prop up the rebel leader's campaign against the UN-recognised Tripoli government. 

In particular, flights to Haftar-controlled zones increased during his failed assault on Tripoli earlier this year, a diplomat with access to the unpublished report that was prepared by a UN expert panel told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. 

UAE-supplied weapons, the report says, have proven crucial in Haftar's campaign and in his takeover of parts of eastern Libya.  

Read more ....  

Update: U.A.E. Boosted Arms Transfers to Libya to Salvage Warlord’s Campaign, U.N. Panel Finds (WSJ)  

WNU Editor: The UAE is not alone. There are scores of countries now involved in that war.

Friday, March 29, 2019

The Conflict In Libya Is Becoming More (And More) Over Oil

A North Korean-flagged tanker, the Morning Glory, is seen docked at the Es Sider export terminal in Ras Lanuf in this March 8, 2014 file photo. Credit: REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Files

OilPrice.com: Libya’s Oil Revenues Dip In February As Battle Over Oil Wealth Continues

Libya’s oil revenues fell in February to $1.26 billion, according to its National Oil Company, as repeated oilfield closures continue to weigh on the troubled African nation.

The oil revenues were $330 million less than January levels, while overall oil production had actually increased by 23,000 bpd in February, according to OPEC’s March Monthly Oil Market Report. Oil production in Libya fell in January to 883,000 bpd from 949,000 bpd in December 2018, rising to 906,000 bpd in February. Libya’s oil production averaged 811,000 bpd in 2017 and 952,000 bpd in 2018. March production is expected to be lifted further.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is always about the money.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Is Libya’s Most Powerful Military Leader Dead?

General Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), attends a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Russia on August 14, 2017 [Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin]

CNBC: Libya’s most powerful military leader might be dead and that could impact oil markets

* Libya's most powerful military leader reportedly suffered a stroke this week — and no one can confirm whether he is dead or alive.
* Local media has reported General Khalifa Haftar's death, while sources close to him insist he is recovering.
* Haftar's death could mean a renewal of violence that could hit the OPEC country's oil output and create new opportunities for groups like ISIS.

Libya's most powerful military leader reportedly suffered a stroke this week — and no one can confirm whether he is dead or alive.

Local media has reported General Khalifa Haftar's death, while sources close to him insist he is recovering. If the former is true, it could mean a renewal of violence and a power struggle that could hit the OPEC country's oil output and create new opportunities for extremist groups like the Islamic State militant group.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Someone tried to assassinate his Military Chief of Staff today .... Eastern Libyan military chief of staff survives car bomb attack (Reuters). More here .... Chief of Staff for east Libyan self-styled army escapes assassination attempt in Benghazi (Libya Observer).

More News And Analysis On The Impact Of General Khalifa Haftar's Health On Libya's Future

Libya: Rumors about Gen Haftar’s death denied -- Middle East Confidential
Haftar's grip is loosening, but what next for Libya? -- The New Arab
ANALYSIS: Could Haftar's illness spark a new power struggle in Libya? -- Middle East Eye
Libya after Haftar? -- European Council on Foreign Relations
What happens to Libya without Khalifa Haftar? -- Fouad Diab, Al Jazeera
A weakened Khalifa Haftar means more instability for Libya -- Guma El-Gamaty, Al Jazeera

Friday, April 13, 2018

US Freezes Military Aid To Libya

A member of the Libyan army's special forces holds his weapon during clashes with Islamist militants in the militants' last stronghold in Benghazi, Libya, July 17, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori

Jack Detsch, Al-Monitor: US freezes military aid to chaotic Libya

Guns and bullets to train two companies of Libyan soldiers are gathering dust in a German warehouse as the Donald Trump administration holds off on delivering the weapons to the violence-plagued North African country.

The Defense and State departments previously authorized some $23 million to train and equip Libyan special operations forces and secure the country’s vast borders, under a 6-year-old plan to carry out security and counterterrorism training and rule of law programs in a handful of vulnerable countries. Expenditures under the Barack Obama-era Global Security Contingency Fund, however, have been frozen since mid-2016, according to congressional notifications reviewed by Al-Monitor, with just $220,000 out of $15 million in border security funding obligated.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This changes the situation completely in Libya .... Libyan Strongman Khalifa Haftar Severely Ill After Stroke (April 12, 2018)

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Libyan Strongman Khalifa Haftar Severely Ill After Stroke

Haftar’s departure from public life would throw Libya’s already chaotic political situation into further disarray Photograph: Esam Al-Fetori/Reuters

The Guardian: Libyan military chief Khalifa Haftar severely ill after stroke – reports

But presidential hopeful’s Libyan National Army dismisses claims as fake news put out by worried opponents

Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan military strongman seen as a potential winner of presidential elections in Libya this year, has reportedly been taken to hospital in Paris following a severe stroke.

Khalifa al-Obeidi, a spokesman for Haftar’s Libyan National Army, denied the claim as fake news generated by Haftar’s opponents, and his aides pointed to undated photographs of Haftar inspecting troops inside Libya.

But media organisations including Le Monde and France 24 reported claims suggested that Haftar, aged 74, had indeed suffered a stroke. Haftar was reportedly taken from Jordan to Paris earlier this month. Some separate medical sources confirmed that the self-appointed Field Marshal had been taken ill, but said he was improving and not in a critical condition.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This creates a huge power vacuum in Libya .... and cosidering the history of Libya, fears on who may replace him (if his medical condition is that severe) are justified.

More News On Reports That Libyan Strongman Khalifa Haftar Has Suffered A Stroke

Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar admitted to Paris hospital -- France 24
Libyan Spokesman: No Comment on Reports of Key Commander Being Treated in Paris -- US News and World Report/Reuters
Libya officials say strongman Hifter in France for treatment -- Washington Post
Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar 'in a coma' at Paris hospital. -- Al Jazeera
Libya warlord Khalifa Haftar suffers stroke -- The Libyan Observer
Libyan strongman Haftar in coma after suffering stroke, reports say -- Middle East Monitor

Monday, November 20, 2017

Sale Of Migrants In Libya 'Slave Markets' Exposed





CNN: Libya opens investigation into slave auctions following CNN report

Libyan authorities have launched a formal investigation into slave auctions in the country following an exclusive CNN report earlier this week, the government said Friday.

"A high-level committee has been convened encompassing representatives from all the security apparatus to oversee this investigation," Anes Alazabi, an official with the internationally recognized government of Libya's Anti-Illegal Immigration Agency, told CNN.

"Priorities of the investigation are not only to convict those responsible for these inhumane acts, but also to identify the location of those who have been sold in order to bring them to safety and return them to their countries of origin."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Slave markets have been with mankind since the beginning .... and sad to say that it still exists.

More News On Reports Of Slave Markets In Libya

Sale of migrants in Libya 'slave markets' sparks global outcry -- Reuters
Sale of Migrants as Slaves in Libya Causes Outrage in Africa and Paris -- New York Times
Footage shows African migrants being sold as slaves at auction for as little as £300 each -- The Telegraph
People for sale: Where lives are auctioned for $400 -- CNN
UN chief: Libya slave auctions may be crimes against humanity -- CNN
Libya to launch slave trading investigation after video footage appeared to show migrants being auctioned off for as little as $400 -- Daily Mail
Libya to launch probe into slave trading in the country -- Middle East Monitor
Libya says to probe 'slave auction' footage -- AFP
Libyan human rights body upset over CNN report of slave auctions in Libya -- The Libya Observer
Slavery in Libya: Top traders to be hunted down -- International Business Times

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Former Libyan Leader Gaddafi's Second Son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi Has Been Released From Prison In Libya

Photo: The captors of Saif al-Islam (above in 2015), son and one-time heir apparent of Libya's late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, say they have released him after more than five years in detention

BBC: Gaddafi's son Saif 'freed' in Libya

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, second son of the late deposed Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, is said to have been freed under an amnesty, in a move which could fuel further instability.

His father's preferred successor, he had been held by a militia in the town of Zintan for the past six years.

The Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Battalion said he had been released on Friday but he has not been shown in public.

Local reports suggest he is now in the eastern city of Bayda with relatives.

The militia group said it was acting on a request from the "interim government".

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction .... his release is going to make a lot of people angry, and it is only going to make Libya even more unstable. He is wanted for war crimes .... the right thing would have been for him to be sent to The Hague for trial.

More News On The Release Of Former Libyan Leader Gaddafi's Second Son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi From Prison In Libya

Wanted Gaddafi son freed by militia captors in Libya -- Euronews
Second son of Gaddafi Saif freed from jail in Libya -- Digital Journal
Gaddafi's son Saif al Islam is released from prison in Libya -- SKY News
Colonel Gaddafi's playboy son Saif al-Islam 'is freed' after more than five years in detention -- Daily Mail
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi freed from prison in Zintan -- Al Jazeera
Gaddafi son Saif al-Islam freed from custody, Libyan militia says -- Middle East Eye
'Completely Free': Militants Release Son of Ex-Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi -- Sputnik
Gaddafi’s son released from prison, Libyan militia says -- RT

Friday, March 31, 2017

Libya's Foreign Minister: EU And NGO Naval Operation 'Encourages' Migrants

Six years since a revolution that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya has become a key departure point for migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean to Europe

AFP: Libya says EU naval operation 'encourages' migrants

Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamad Taher Siala on Friday urged the EU to rethink its naval operation in the Mediterranean, saying it comes with the side effect of encouraging migrants to attempt the perilous crossing to Europe.

The European Union launched Operation Sophia in 2015 to crack down on smugglers on the high seas, after hundreds of migrants died when their rickety boats sank off southern Italy.

The operation's vessels are charged with intercepting smugglers' boats and destroying them, but they often end up rescuing the migrants trying to make their way to Europe -- many of whom depart from Libya.

Read more ....

Update: This story has been circulating since last year .... Are we helping desperate migrants — or just people smugglers? Shocking claims in Italy about collusion between people smugglers and NGOs (Nicholas Farrell, Spectator).

WNU Editor: Duh!!!!

Update #2: Only one million? .... More than ONE MILLION migrants hoping to cross to Europe are 'in the pipeline' in Libya: Senior diplomat warns EU has done 'too little, too late' to tackle the crisis (Daily Mail).

Friday, February 17, 2017

Libya Asks NATO For Defense Help



DW: Libya requests NATO assistance to bolster security institutions

Libya's UN-backed government asked for help following a shift to fighting international terrorism. Libya has been in crisis since a 2011 civil war let the so-called "Islamic State" gain a foothold in the nation.

Libya formally requested the help of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to help strengthen Libyan security institutions, according to NATO head Jens Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg told reporters on Thursday that the alliance was looking into exactly what could be done to help the war-stricken nation, which has been in turmoil since the 2011 toppling of leader Moammar Gadhafi. Following the civil war and the ensuing power vacuum competing governments and militias vied for power.

"Libya needs that framework to be able to develop the forces and stabilize the country," Stoltenberg said, though he did not detail when that effort might start or what it might entail.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Today is also the sixth anniversary of the start of the Libya revolution against Ghaddafi .... Sixth Anniversary of Libyans’ 17 February Revolution (Libya Observer)

More News On Libya Asking NATO For Defense Help

Libya sends new request for military training to NATO -- Reuters
Libya requests NATO help to rebuild security institutions -- AP
Serraj asks NATO for help in rebuilding Libyan defences -- Libya Herald
Update: NATO Received Libya's Request for Help in Establishing Defense Institutions -- Sputnik
Libya finally requests NATO help -- IHS Jane's 360

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Hundreds Drown As Two Over Crowded Refugee Boats Sink Off Libya



The Guardian: Hundreds dead as boats sink off Libya, survivors tell UN

At least 240 people killed as two boats sink in Mediterranean, survivors tell UN refugee agency on Italian island of Lampedusa

At least 240 people are feared to have drowned in the southern Mediterranean, bringing the annual total to 4,220 – the highest in the Mediterranean on record.

About 100 people drowned when an inflatable dinghy capsized shortly after leaving the Libyan coast on Wednesday, some of the 29 survivors told the UN refugee agency. A further 140 are thought to have drowned in a second incident in another rubber boat early on Thursday morning. Only two people appear to have survived the second tragedy.

Read more ....

More News On Hundreds Drowning As Two Over Crowded Refugee Boats Sink Off Libya

U.N. says 239 migrants die in two shipwrecks off Libya -- Reuters
Migrant crisis: 'Hundreds dead' in shipwrecks off Libya -- BBC
Twin shipwrecks kill hundreds of refugees off Libya, survivors say -- DW
Hundreds of refugees drown in the Mediterranean Sea -- The Independent
More than 240 migrants drown when two overcrowded rubber dinghies capsize in the Mediterranean -- Daily Mail
'Up to 240 migrants drown' in shipwrecks off Libyan coast -- SKY News
Over 200 Migrants Dead in Shipwrecks Near Libya -- VOA
Hundreds feared dead in refugee shipwrecks off Libya -- Al Jazeera

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Was The U.S. - NATO Libyan Intervention A Failure?



Shadi Hamid, VOX: Everyone says the Libya intervention was a failure. They’re wrong.


Libya and the 2011 NATO intervention there have become synonymous with failure, disaster, and the Middle East being a "shit show" (to use President Obama’s colorful descriptor). It has perhaps never been more important to question this prevailing wisdom, because how we interpret Libya affects how we interpret Syria and, importantly, how we assess Obama’s foreign policy legacy.

Of course, Libya, as anyone can see, is a mess, and Americans are reasonably asking if the intervention was a mistake. But just because it’s reasonable doesn’t make it right.

Most criticisms of the intervention, even with the benefit of hindsight, fall short. It is certainly true that the intervention didn’t produce something resembling a stable democracy. This, however, was never the goal. The goal was to protect civilians and prevent a massacre.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Using this argument .... I can say the same about Iraq .... that if Saddam Hussein was kept in power the situation would be worst. But no one is saying that .... and for just cause. The Libyan intervention is a disaster because there was no commitment or long term strategy on how to deal with the country after Qaddafi was thrown out .... even President Obama is acknowledging that (see above video). The U.S./NATO intervention may have stopped Qaddafi from massacring his opponents .... but the story on what will happen in Libya is still being played out, and we do not really know what will be the end result when this is all over .... but by the looks of it .... a never-ending conflict that will continue for years (if not more).