David Cameron blamed for flawed Libya intervention
September 14, 2016
British lawmakers have accused Cameron of launching the intervention on "erroneous assumptions." Their report comes just days after the disgraced ex-prime minister resigned as a member of parliament.
Image: picture-alliance/dppa/A. Vitvitsky
Advertisement
A parliamentary report released on Wednesday said the UK's bombing campaign in Libya was based on flawed intelligence and hastened the collapse of the country, leading to further bloodshed.
The Foreign Affairs Committee slammed the decision to invade the North African country in 2011 in an effort to remove then-leader Moammar Gadhafi. Though the intervention was ostensibly meant to aid civilians under fire from Gadhafi's forces, British lawmakers said the UK government had failed to provide credible evidence that the dictator's regime directly threatened civilians.
Furthermore, the report said the UK government neglected to acknowledge the Islamist extremist element in the conflict. "UK strategy was founded on erroneous assumptions and an incomplete understanding of the evidence," the report said.
Lawmakers suggested the intervention was at least partly to blame for the continuing chaos in the country, which, five years after Western forces united to remove Gadhafi, continues to be riven by internal conflict.
Cameron to blame
The committee said Cameron had a "decisive" role in the intervention and was "ultimately responsible for the failure to develop a coherent Libya strategy."
Committee chair Crispin Blunt noted other options that the UK could have pursued in place of military intervention. "Political engagement might have delivered civilian protection, regime change and reform at a lesser cost to the UK and Libya," Blunt said in a statement. "The UK would have lost nothing by trying these instead of focusing exclusively on regime change by military means."
As the situation in Libya deteriorates, Western governments involved in the 2011 intervention have weighed in on the decision to get involved. In an interview with US broadcaster Fox News in April, President Barack Obama expressed regret about the decision, saying his "biggest mistake" was "probably failing to plan for the day after what I think was the right thing to do in intervening in Libya."
Libyan forces have been fighting since May to retake the town of Sirte from "Islamic State" (IS) fighters. DW photographer Karlos Zurutuza spent time with pro-government forces and portrays the battle to regain control.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
The last assault
The government offensive on Sirte began on May 12 in an attempt to retake the "Islamic State" (IS) group's main stronghold in Libya. The operation, "Solid Structure," is being led by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and backed by US airstrikes.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
Door-to-door war
After Libyan forces seized locations all around the coastal city, clashes turned into a door-to-door war. IS fighters are currently surrounded in two districts in downtown Sirte, which are also being targeted by Libyan navy vessels. Officials have denied there are foreign boots on the ground. "Only Libyans are fighting on the ground," Mohammed Al-Ghasri, an army spokesman, told DW.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
A battering ram against IS
While US airstrikes are playing a major role in the offensive, these Russian-made tanks have turned into an indispensable weapon against snipers' positions, car bombs as well as Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) which litter downtown Sirte.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
Take no prisoners
Libyan fighters claim that it's impossible to take IS prisoners. According to Libyan forces, many of them wear explosive vests and prefer to die in combat than being captured alive. Over 400 Libyan fighters have died in Sirte since the operation began in May. The enemy has not disclosed their number of casualties.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
Mixed bag
Although a majority of the Libyan forces deployed in Sirte are from Misrata - 230 kilometers west of Sirte - there are also fighters from other regions in Libya. The strength of IS has triggered concerns in a country which has three governments - one in the east, one in the west and the UN-backed executive - each relying on their own armed groups.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
Coping with an emergency
Doctors in Sirte work as volunteers in exhausting shifts to cope with the influx of wounded fighters. Ambulances and improvised hospitals like this one are also recurrent targets for IS snipers and car bombs.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
A never-ending nightmare
Doctors on the ground say they have seen several fighters who have been shot in the throat. "Some patients have recovered from chest shots, or even head shots, so snipers are seemingly aiming at their throats. If they survive they'll be quadriplegic, meaning that they'll never be able to fight again," Doctor Mustafa Shorfu told DW from Sirte's main hospital.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
Flying out the wounded
The most seriously injured are transferred daily by air to Misrata. Senior officials on the ground told DW that combat operations in Sirte were mostly suspended this week due to the high number of injured treated at Misrata's hospital. Booby-trap devices in areas formerly under IS control are reportedly causing huge loses among the fighters.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
Missing home
There is no telephone network in Sirte so during the rare lulls in fighting, fighters from neighboring areas such as Misrata choose to go home to visit their families. The ones who stay have to live with a lack of any modern amenities amid the debris of the battle.
Image: DW/K. Zurutuza
Imminent liberation?
Libyan fighters on the ground are convinced they will soon retake full control of Sirte. "We think there are no more than 50 of them [IS fighters - the ed.] left inside the area under their control so we may liberate the city in the forthcoming days," Omar Zidani, a fighter from Misrata, told DW.
