Scathing report criticises Cameron over Libya bombing campaign
Posted on September 15th, 2016
By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent Courtesy Sky News
MPs say the former prime minister’s intervention helped fuel instability and enabled increased terrorism across the Middle East.
The 2011 campaign to overthrow the Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi has been described as “ill-conceived” and “founded on erroneous assumptions”.
A highly critical report, published by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, accuses the government at the time of having “an incomplete understanding of the country and the situation” and blames it for helping create the messy state Libya finds itself in today.
The intervention, in March 2011, was instigated by the French government led by Nicholas Sarkozy. David Cameron was quick to commit British forces to the campaign.
The committee said this was “reactive” as the situation in the eastern city of Benghazi deteriorated and fears of a massacre increased.
“We have seen no evidence the UK government carried out a proper analysis of the nature of the rebellion in Libya,” the report concluded.
“The international community’s inability to secure weapons abandoned by the Gaddafi regime fuelled instability in Libya and enabled increased terrorism across North and West Africa and the Middle East.”
It added: “The result was political and economic collapse, inter-militia and inter-tribal warfare, humanitarian and migrant crises, widespread human rights violations, the spread of Gaddafi regime weapons across the region and the growth of ISIL in North Africa.
“Through his decision making in the National Security Council, former Prime Minister David Cameron was ultimately responsible for the failure to develop a coherent Libya strategy.”
Commenting on the report, committee chairman Crispin Blunt said: “Other political options were available. Political engagement might have delivered civilian protection, regime change and reform at a lesser cost to the UK and Libya.
“The UK would have lost nothing by trying these instead of focusing exclusively on regime change by military means.
“Having led the intervention with France, we had a responsibility to support Libyan economic and political reconstruction.
“But our lack of understanding of the institutional capacity of the country stymied Libya’s progress in establishing security on the ground and absorbing financial and other resources from the international community.”
The political and security vacuum, created by the UK and France, has allowed Islamist groups to take root in the country and the coastline is now a hub for people smuggling. Thousands of migrants are crossing the Mediterranean from Libyan beaches.
The investigation concludes the UK has “a particular responsibility in relation to migrants and refugees” because of its role in the conflict.
In its opinion, the migrant crisis “has been exacerbated by the collapse of the Libyan state” and the UK should share the blame.
September 16th, 2016 at 2:44 pm
With all his Oxford accent high minded talk he was just a cheap politician who took money from LTTE terrorists. Finally the British people saw through the front and threw him out. Let us hope Sri Lankans also see through our local version of Cameron, Ranil Wickremasinghe and throw him out. Please see the two links below.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/the-french-connection?utm_term=.ukyMgJbeBx#.pckV1NlBJG
https://ltteagents.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/david-cameron-and-team-meets-with-the-tamil-tiger-diaspora/
September 16th, 2016 at 5:33 pm
David Cameron along with the French Prime Minister Boucher tried hard to stop the GoSL from finishing off Prabhakaran. During the last stages of the war just as the GoSL was about to finish off Prabhakaran Cameron sent David Miliband from Britain and Boucher to negotiate with MR to allow them to take Prabhakaran off Sri Lanka by boat. If MR was a spineless, gutless, jellyfish permanently peeing in their trousers like the current Yahapalanaya leaders, then the country will still be what it was under CBK and Ranil.
Luckily MR risked his whole family and took a bold decision to finish off the war once and for all. These two countries never forgave MR for not doing their bidding. They wanted to prolong the war, sell arms, and devastate the country like all the other countries which were destroyed by them as part of the Neo-con agenda to keep resources of the world for themselves. The Norwegians who came in the guise of peacekeepers had helped the LTTE to develop mini-subs which were sent around the country after the war by the Govt to tell the people what was going on. We must always remember that these powerful countries were NOT our friends in our hour of need. All the ambassadors of these countries when they come to Sri Lanka make a beeline to Jaffna. Why? Is it to eat crab curry or are the Tamils their unspoken partners in breaking up Sri Lanka as has been done Sudan, Libya, Iraq, Yugoslavia etc., Then from Sri Lanka they can target India. Why is that none of this crab eating people go to the south to speak to the Sinhala people to ask what are their grievances? Why is that the UN is not interested in what the LTTE did during the 30-year terrorism in Sri Lanka? Now using the UN they are punishing MR and his family and the war heroes.
As I said before:
“There is a force in the universe — call it God or spirituality or whatever you like — that wants the victory of truth and justice. This force will help you if you are steady, humble, and patient. Never ever give up however bad things get.”
Nelson Mandela (first South African black president)
That is why David Cameron has to now face the public for all his shameful acts. That is why France is collapsing due to the flood of Muslims from all the countries they helped to destroy. That is why Britain’s economy is collapsing and The same thing will happen to the Yahapalanaya group too. The wheel of dharma always turns though it turns very slowly sometimes.