2011 military intervention in Libya: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

Line 259:

==== Allegations of no evidence of civilian massacres by Gaddafi ====

[[Alison Pargeter]], a freelance Middle East and North Africa ([[MENA]]) analyst, told the Committee that when Gaddafi's forces re-took Ajdabiya they did not attack civilians, and this had taken place in February 2011, shortly before the NATO intervention.<ref name="oral_evidence">{{cite web |last1=Pargeter |first1=Alison |title=Oral Evidence to Foreign Affairs Committee |url=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/foreign-affairs-committee/libya-examination-of-intervention-and-collapse-and-the-uks-future-policy-options/oral/22980.html |website=data.parliament.uk |access-date=28 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222201028/http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/foreign-affairs-committee/libya-examination-of-intervention-and-collapse-and-the-uks-future-policy-options/oral/22980.html |archive-date=22 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> She also said that Gaddafi's approach towards the rebels had been one of "appeasement", with the release of Islamist prisoners and promises of significant development assistance for Benghazi.<ref name="oral_evidence" />{{primary source inline|date=December 2022}} However, evidence which was collected during the intervention suggested otherwise, showing things such as shooting deaths of hundreds of protestors, reports of mass rapes by Libyan Armed Forces and orders from Gaddafi's senior generals to bombard and starve the people of [[Misrata]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/world/africa/05nations.html?ref=world | work= [[The New York Times]] |author1=Simons, Marlise |author2=MacFarquhar, Neil | title=Libyan Officials' Arrests Sought by Court in Hague | date= 4 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/18/muammar-gaddafi-war-crimes-files|title=Muammar Gaddafi war crimes files revealed|first=Chris|last=Stephen|publisher=www.theguardian.com|date=June 18, 2011|access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last1= Sidner | first1= Sara | last2= Ahmed | first2= Amir | title= Psychologist: Proof of hundreds of rape cases during Libya's war | date= 2011-05-23 |publisher= [[CNN]]| url= http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/05/23/libya.rape.survey.psychologist/ |access-date= 2019-07-22 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170812100748/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/05/23/libya.rape.survey.psychologist/ |archive-date= 2017-08-12 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?}}

In his March 28 address, Barack Obama warned of an imminent risk of a massacre in [[Benghazi]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/28/remarks-President-address-nation-libya|title=Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Libya|date=28 March 2011|website=whitehouse.gov|access-date=6 August 2023}}</ref> However, journalist S.Awan argued that the subsequent airstrikes "destroyed a very small convoy of government vehicles, including ambulances."<ref name="auto1">{{cite book |last= Awan |first= S.|date= 2015 |title=The Libya Conspiracy: A Definitive Guide to the Lies of the Libya 'Intervention' & the Crime of the Century |page= 55}}</ref> Furthermore, Professor Alan J. Kuperman argued against the idea of an imminent massacre in Benghazi, arguing that in captured cities such as [[Zawiya, Libya|Zawiya]], [[Misurata]] and [[Ajdabiya]] no massacre had occurred, so Kuperman believed that there was little reason to think Benghazi would be any different.<ref name="auto1"/> While there were civilian casualties, he argued that there was no effort to target civilian concentrations, with Libya's air force primarily targeting rebel positions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/04/14/false_pretense_for_war_in_libya/|title=False pretense for war in Libya? - The Boston Globe|newspaper=Boston.com |date=15 July 2020|access-date=6 August 2023|archive-date=15 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715060802/https://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/04/14/false_pretense_for_war_in_libya/|url-status=bot: unknown |last1=Kuperman |first1=Alan J. }}</ref>