UN probe finds both sides committed war crimes in Libyan conflict

[News_Editor]

UN probe finds both sides committed war crimes in Libyan conflict

2012-03-04 07:38:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- An investigation by the United Nations (UN) has shown that crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed by both troops loyal to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and the forces which fought to oust him.

The UN-mandated International Commission of Inquiry on Libya, which comprised Philippe Kirsch, Cherif M. Bassiouni and Asma Khader, stated that acts of murder, enforced disappearance and torture were perpetrated within the context of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.

"The Commission found additional violations including unlawful killing, individual acts of torture and ill-treatment, attacks on civilians, and rape," the report added, stating that it further concluded that the thuwar (anti-Gaddafi forces) committed serious violations, including war crimes and breaches of international human rights law. The report claims those violations are still continuing.

According to the report, anti-Gaddafi fighters particularly targeted members of the Tawergha community, and violations included unlawful killing, arbitrary arrest, torture, enforced disappearance, indiscriminate attacks, and pillage.

The commission also concluded that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) conducted a 'highly precise' campaign with a demonstrable determination to avoid civilian casualties. However, on several occasions, NATO airstrikes resulted in civilian casualties and some targets were found to have no evidence of military utility.

The panel, which was established by an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council on February 25, 2011, noted that Libya's transitional Government has shown a commitment to human rights. It said authorities have taken positive steps to establish mechanisms for accountability.

Nonetheless, the commission voiced concern over the failure to hold accountable members of the thuwar who committed serious human rights violations, as the Government faces tough challenges with more than 40 years of serious human rights violations and deterioration of the legislative framework, judicial and national institutions.

The eight-month-long civil war, which claimed more than 25,000 lives, came to an end in late October when rebels captured Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as he tried to flee his hometown Sirte. Gaddafi, who led Libya for more than 30 years, was eventually shot dead although the exact circumstances surrounding the death remain unclear.

Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC), led by the former rebels, assumed control of the country after Gaddafi's regime was toppled. The council appointed Abdurrahim El-Keib as interim prime minister to lead Libya until nationwide elections have taken place.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-03-04

[johna]

NATO's no fly zone turned into a NATO free fire zone very quickly.

[Exsexyman]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100140857/cameron-vindicated-grateful-libyan-people-thank-britain-for-their-liberation-from-gadaffi/#disqus_thread

Truly disgusting footage of our new " Friends' in Libya desecrating war graves in a Christian cemetary. Yesterday more footage doing the rounds of black Libyans in zoo cages, with their hands tied behind their backs, being force fed the Libyan flag by these monsters who Nato installed, and who are now in charge. All of them shouting, ' Allah Akbar". Daily reports of black Libyans being raped or strung up on a daily basis. Thousands of Ghaddafi supporters being locked up and tortured. Of course not a peep out of Cameron, Sarkozy or Hillary Clinton. Mission accomplished! Time to move on to the next adventure!

[Steely Dan]

http://blogs.telegra.../#disqus_thread

Truly disgusting footage of our new " Friends' in Libya desecrating war graves in a Christian cemetary. Yesterday more footage doing the rounds of black Libyans in zoo cages, with their hands tied behind their backs, being force fed the Libyan flag by these monsters who Nato installed, and who are now in charge. All of them shouting, ' Allah Akbar". Daily reports of black Libyans being raped or strung up on a daily basis. Thousands of Ghaddafi supporters being locked up and tortured. Of course not a peep out of Cameron, Sarkozy or Hillary Clinton. Mission accomplished! Time to move on to the next adventure!

There is no escaping this, to intervene to stop a humanitarian crisis is one thing, and collateral damage can unfortunately result from that. However, we knowingly put Islamic totalitarians in charge, many who were fresh from fighting against Nato in Iraq and Afghanistan. These actions amount to criminal negligence and treason to our own culture being the lapdog of the Muslim brotherhood in order to keep our Saudi friends sweet and maintain the phony dialog that you can get Islamists to moderate and embrace democracy if we do their fighting for them.

As should be clear now they despise us for our weakness and gullibility and always have done, shame on the idiots who allowed this to happen.

Edited March 4, 2012 by Steely Dan

[ParadiseLost]

Damned if you do and damned if you don't...

Has there ever been a conflict where one side was squeaky clean? Geneva Convention my arse in times of battle - for recent examples look at some of the atrocities committed in Iraq by US forces. That is not a cheap shot at the US by any means, just accept that war is a nasty thing and turns men into animals; if it didn't soldiers would desert en masse.

One side is always only slightly less evil than the other in my opinion.

What would people prefer - NATO had stayed out of Libya and Gadaffi carried on unchecked? His sons are/were even more evil and the cycle of tyranny would have just continued. The same people decrying the NATO invasion would have gone berserk if there were occupation forces posted after Gadaffi's removal so exactly what was the solution?

I don't think it is worse now but just maybe there is a chance the revenge killing will end and a peaceful solution will emerge. The wounds are still too fresh to start healing - only time will tell if it was a mistake or not, decades perhaps.

It would be interesting to know how Iraqi people feel today, would they want Saddam back? Things aren't exactly rosy there.

Look to Zimbabwe for an example of doing squat. People there are amongst the very poorest in the world. In a country that at one stage was an exporter of food people are dying of disease and starvation but Bob Mugabe is still swanning about in his expensive German limousines and flipping the bird at the rest of the world. I know what I would have preferred happen to that sack of <deleted>.

Edited March 4, 2012 by ParadiseLost

[Exsexyman]

http://blogs.telegra.../#disqus_thread

Truly disgusting footage of our new " Friends' in Libya desecrating war graves in a Christian cemetary. Yesterday more footage doing the rounds of black Libyans in zoo cages, with their hands tied behind their backs, being force fed the Libyan flag by these monsters who Nato installed, and who are now in charge. All of them shouting, ' Allah Akbar". Daily reports of black Libyans being raped or strung up on a daily basis. Thousands of Ghaddafi supporters being locked up and tortured. Of course not a peep out of Cameron, Sarkozy or Hillary Clinton. Mission accomplished! Time to move on to the next adventure!

There is no escaping this, to intervene to stop a humanitarian crisis is one thing, and collateral damage can unfortunately result from that. However, we knowingly put Islamic totalitarians in charge, many who were fresh from fighting against Nato in Iraq and Afghanistan. These actions amount to criminal negligence and treason to our own culture being the lapdog of the Muslim brotherhood in order to keep our Saudi friends sweet and maintain the phony dialog that you can get Islamists to moderate and embrace democracy if we do their fighting for them.

As should be clear now they despise us for our weakness and gullibility and always have done, shame on the idiots who allowed this to happen.

http://blogs.telegra.../#disqus_thread

Truly disgusting footage of our new " Friends' in Libya desecrating war graves in a Christian cemetary. Yesterday more footage doing the rounds of black Libyans in zoo cages, with their hands tied behind their backs, being force fed the Libyan flag by these monsters who Nato installed, and who are now in charge. All of them shouting, ' Allah Akbar". Daily reports of black Libyans being raped or strung up on a daily basis. Thousands of Ghaddafi supporters being locked up and tortured. Of course not a peep out of Cameron, Sarkozy or Hillary Clinton. Mission accomplished! Time to move on to the next adventure!

There is no escaping this, to intervene to stop a humanitarian crisis is one thing, and collateral damage can unfortunately result from that. However, we knowingly put Islamic totalitarians in charge, many who were fresh from fighting against Nato in Iraq and Afghanistan. These actions amount to criminal negligence and treason to our own culture being the lapdog of the Muslim brotherhood in order to keep our Saudi friends sweet and maintain the phony dialog that you can get Islamists to moderate and embrace democracy if we do their fighting for them.

As should be clear now they despise us for our weakness and gullibility and always have done, shame on the idiots who allowed this to happen.

An excellent post which sums up the situation very well. And of course these Islamic totalitarians fresh from fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya have now moved on to Syria with the Wests aid and support. But no need to worry, they all become moderate Islamics when they run out of ammunition!