Britain must undertake a "wholesale re-examination" of its involvement in the Nato conflict in Libya after the murder of the leader of the anti-Gaddafi forces, former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell has said.
Sir Menzies Campbell says the 'assassination' of General Abdel Fattah Younes, the rebels' military commander, should spark a complete review of Britain's role in Libya Photo: IAN JONES
By Christopher Hope
9:30PM BST 31 Jul 2011
7 Comments
The call came as Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, appeared to admit Nato forces were powerless to depose Col Muammar Gaddafi until the Libyan leader's own henchmen turned on him.
The death of General Abdel Fattah Younes, the rebels' military commander, on Friday was blamed on Islamist-linked militia within the opposition forces.
Rebel minister Ali Tarhouni said Gen Younes, who defected to the rebels in February after serving in the Libyan leadership since 1969, was killed by members of the Obaida Ibn Jarrah Brigade.
Further splits between the rebels were evident yesterday when clashes between rival rebel factions left four people dead in Benghazi, their stronghold.
One group of rebels reportedly overran the base of another rogue faction suspected of breaking pro-Gaddafi forces out of a prison.
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Sir Menzies, the party's former foreign affairs spokesman, said the "assassination" of Younes should spark a complete review of Britain's role in Libya.
"This assassination now provides an opportunity and a spur for a wholesale re-examination of policy."
There was an opportunity now, he said, for Britain to think about "the end-game" of the conflict in Libya.
He said: "We know that the United States has not taken a full part, we know that in France and Italy there are differing views.
"I think if we are going to get this right we have to be clearer about defining what success would amount to. If you like – what the end-game is."
The key would be how Col Gaddafi would be treated if he was overthrown. Allowing him to remain in Tripoli under house arrest would risk seeing him treated an "icon".
Sir Menzies was speaking as Dr Fox, the Defence secretary, flew to the United States for talks with Leon Panetta, his American counterpart in the Obama administration.
Dr Fox said in an interview that "the key to the Libyan resolution" was not in the hands of Nato. Instead it was key for Gaddafi's supporters to accept that he was a "busted flush".
He told BBC Radio Four's World This Weekend programme: "The key to the Libyan resolution will be whether or not the close circle around Col Gaddafi recognise that there is no point in investing in him, he is a busted flush, and that he will sooner or later have to leave power."
He added: "When the penny drops with them, that is inevitable then you are likely to see the sort of change in the political momentum that we have been looking for."
Dr Fox conceded the rebels will "always had limited capacity on the ground", although "they are being assisted in terms of communications and their logistics and making the best use of the equipment that they had".
Dr Fox added that other European members of Nato had to show greater commitment to the Libyan conflict.
He said: "Some European countries will need to ask themselves whether they are genuinely committed to Nato or whether they regard it as an a la carte menu. The latter is unacceptable."
Britain is part of the Coalition force which has been conducting operations in Libya since March under a United Nations mandate which has authorised military action in Libya to protect local people.
Dr Fox added that other European nations which were not supporting the Nato action could not afford to be complacent and assume that the US would always be an ally.
He said: "The United States has a major commitment in Afghanistan – much bigger than any European country – and it has still got an engagement in Iraq, there are also very worried about the situation in the Gulf and have a lot of military assets there in case there is further trouble.
"Other European countries and members of Nato will have to recognise that they cannot get the insurance policy and have other people pay the premiums."
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Showing 7 comments
Clothcap
11 minutes ago
Benghazi insurgency R.I.P. 1st August 2011.
Details - my.telegraph.co.uk/clothcap
MabroukLibya
Today 01:28 AM Recommended by 2 people
Yesterday 31/07/2011 the rebels in Benghazi killed over 100 people belong to the tribe of Werfla in Benghazi. This tribe sent its boys to fight with the rebels against the Libyan army in El-Brega-Libya.
An islamic militia killed the rebels comander Gen: Yunes and his companions who were killed three days ago. One of these companions belongs to this tribe, so the tribe raised its voice to Criticizes the militia and NTC.
You will hear these news sooner or later!!!
The question is who are those backed by the west and Nato?
beegdawg007
Today 12:20 AM
Agree... this is not going at all like movie wars go. We have dropped the bombs and clearly know that Kaddaffi is the bad guy. This program should soon end with Mommar looking out the window as a Cruise missile comes screaming in toward his bulging eyes. The End! That is how this war was suppose to go! After three months, I think it is time that move onto a new reality-documentary! This one has become boring.
James Padgett
07/31/2011 11:58 PM Recommended by 14 people
Dr. Liam Fox should recognize that the QUICKEST and BEST and WISEST soloution to this intervention in Libya - is to immediately STOP it and get out!!! Like the intervention in Iraq, it was done with no research - which would have revealed the deep division among the Libyan people concerning Gaddafi. Studies of the sizes and allegiances of LIbya's 148 tribes indicate that over 60 percent of Libyans support Gaddafi. NATO had - and has - no right to violate a nation's sovereignty - to remove a regime when the majority of the naiton's population support it. Seems to me that democracy means RULE BY THE PEOPLE, not rule by the opinion of OTHER NATIONS. May the governmental branches in the UK, USA, and France have the gonads and wisdom to stop immediately this stupid and misguided and criminal interventiion.
mar23
07/31/2011 11:13 PM Recommended by 12 people
Well,at least the "HEADING" of this article got off on the right track. for a minute there I thought that this guy wanted to stop the insanity in Libya.
but hold up! wait a minute! stop the press! he started talking that same crap that the Dannat dude over there is talking. even after admitting that "One group of rebels reportedly overran the base of another rogue faction suspected of breaking pro-Gaddafi forces out of a prison", this new fool from england STILL wants her Majesties soldiers (or whatever it is that you call it over there) to go all in and try to remove gadaffi!
this guy is either the smartest person on the planet and knows something that the rest of the world dosesnt know,or he is something else.
o.k,my money is on SOMETHING ELSE! and to make matters worse Al-Jazeera has just repoted that rebel (not making this up) BRIGADES are now fighting AGAINST EACH OTHER!!
the rebel leader is claiming that gadaffi loyalist have infiltrated entire brigades in BENGHAZI and now are fighting against his rebels.
I dont believe the rebel leader for a moment, not even a millisecond. this is the same liar who claimed that "gadaffi's men killed general Younes" only to have the truth be exposed that HIS own secret AL-QAEDA sect had riddled him with bullets and burned his body!
what is wrong with the so called leaders of england? there will be no face saving victory for the uniion jack this time around and rightfully so.
america is just as guilty,but at least the liars over here are NOT running to the press as your elected officials are making one stupid comment after the next.
hey,maybe thats the plan for obama? let you schleps from england take the fall for this fiasco? I can hear him now.
"it was england,not the US who said that nato should have armed the rebels" "and that Menzies dude HIMSELF even said that " britain needs a wholesale rethink on Libya"
barack would then say "what he meant was for ENGLAND to put boots on the ground" now menzies didnt say or allude to that,but barack is a habitual liar,so I wouldnt put it past him to tell that lie anyway.
its time for the insanity to stop and admit defeat folks. the rebels have turned on each other and are now KILLING each other. its just a matter of time before there is an all out civil war pitting the rebels,against the REBELS!
one thing for sure is that the credibility of nato (never had any with me) is totally destroyed! the bigots from nato will NEVER be allowed to invade other countries ever again.
the greed and bigotry of america,england and the EU has rendered your militaries obsolete now FOREVER! no UN nation will ever vote with nato again,and if nato attacks any nation unprovoked your countries will be bombed back into the stoneage.
the thieves from nato have now made Amadinajhad look like the "Patron saint of democracy" and mugabe (I always knew he was telling the truth) is now the biggest hero in the history of africa.
Ahkenaton? where has he been lately? Mandela? please,all he did was go to prison for crimes that he didnt commit. we have a bunch of black mandela's over here in apartheid america,mexican ones too.
but mugabe,he was right all along when he said that england was attempting to enforce regime change against him also just to steal his peoples land again.
now you folks in england dont have to agree with anything that I have just posted. but I am sure the people in Tripoli agree with me.
but even you all cannot agree with this Menzies moron.
scottishman
07/31/2011 11:08 PM Recommended by 4 people
Cameron is a narcissist, he was bemused by the fact that even
with Murdoch's support and Ashcroft's millions he did not do
better in the 2010 election, a Tony Blair landslide it was not.
He thought that a quick campaign in Libya would boost his
popularity and grateful Libyans would spend lots of oil cash
in the UK.
It has all gone horribly wrong, the Americans, stung by
the UK's reduction of their armed forces, have become
lukewarm in their miltary support. The campaign in Libya
has dragged on too long and the frustrated rebels are
descending into infighting.
Mr Cameron is on holiday.
ricky62
07/31/2011 10:59 PM Recommended by 9 people
The best way for us is leave Libya for the Libyans to sort out. Defeating Qaddafi is not likely to happen as long as NATO keeps bombing the country as this this action is turning his one time opponents into reluctant supporters.
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