Tri-Service

Government Hits Back At Criticisms Of Libya Campaign

Article by James Hirst

The government has rejected some of the scathing criticisms, made by a panel of MPs, of the way it decided to launch military action in Libya.

While ministers have accepted many of the recommendations made by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, the MPs say the government seems ‘unwilling’ to learn the lessons of the intervention.

The MP’s report in September was scathing. They branded Britain’s 2011 military intervention in Libya “ill-conceived” and based on “erroneous assumptions”.

Now the government has given its formal response to the report.

It hits back at some of the MPs criticisms, including suggestions the UK ‘did nothing’ to stop weapons ending up in the hands of terrorists.

"The decision to intervene in Libya was an international one, called for by the Arab League and authorised by the United Nations Security Council. Throughout the campaign we stayed within the UN mandate to protect civilians and the House of Commons voted to endorse UK action.

“Action was evidence-based and, as with any intervention we take, there has been rigorous work to ensure that lessons are learned and, where appropriate, reflected in future structures and processes.

- Foreign Office Spokesperson

The government response says that the UK, UN and NATO “took action to track and secure” those weapons.

It has accepted many of the recommendations on dealing with what happens once the fighting ends.

But it’s rejected some of the key suggested changes for the way decisions are made on whether to launch military action.

The MP’s wanted a formal record to be made if a Prime Minister decided to act against the advice of military officers

It’s a change the government says it will not make.

The chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Crispin Blunt MP, has called the government response troubling for the future (see above for more). He said:

"I believe we are about to repeat the failure to have adequate plans and resources for stabilisation in Mosul. Libya should have taught us these lessons."

It is an unusual step for a committee to comment on an official government response to a report, it seems the Foreign Affairs Committee are not ready to take this discussion behind closed doors yet.