Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr Mustafa Fetouri
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How the world was misled into the Libyan war
Seven years have passed since the United Nations authorised military intervention in Libya under the pretext of “humanitarian intervention” and a “responsibility to protect”. At the time it was claimed that Libya’s civilians needed protection against the brutality of President Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, amidst an uprising against the government. Eight...
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Britain should re-interpret the Balfour Declaration
The UN General Assembly voted on Tuesday by an overwhelming majority to grant the State of Palestine enhanced rights and privileges, allowing it to take over the chair of the Group of 77+China. This important diplomatic victory for Palestinians comes at a time when the majority of UN members...
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The easiest way to shut down UNRWA is to let the refugees return home
When Donald J Trump was three years old the UN General Assembly met a few blocks away from where he was born and adopted Resolution 302. That was in December 1949 and the resolution created the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East...
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Is the UN envoy about to give up on Libya?
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) was established by the international organisation in September 2011 for an initial period of three months. UNSMIL’s mandate was to help the country stand on its feet again after the civil war that saw military intervention led by NATO, ex-leader Muammar Gaddafi...
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The revolution that devoured its children
French journalist Jacques Mallet du Pan (1749-1800) once described the French Revolution by saying that, “Like Saturn, the Revolution devours its children.” Look at Libya today and you will find that du Pan could not have been more accurate. For example, very few people would recognise Abdurrahman Shalgham, Libya’s former...
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The UN is failing Libya every step of the way
Since the revolt that led to NATO intervention in Libya in 2011, the UN Security Council has passed almost 30 different resolutions and issued half-a-dozen presidential statements on the situation in the North African country. They cover almost everything, from the arms embargo to illegal oil trading, and call...
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How long can the Libyan capital be spared destruction?
A new round of violence erupted on 27 August south of the Libyan capital Tripoli, between militias nominally allied to the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the 7th Brigade, which claims to be part of the Libyan Armed Forces. However, it is not clear if the brigade is...
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NATO is an accessory to the crime of forced displacement in Libya
Tawergha is a small Libyan costal town roughly 300 kilometres east of the capital Tripoli. Its estimated that 40,000 of its inhabitants are black Libyans who have lived there for hundreds of years and never had any problem integrating into the rest of the country and were never discriminated...
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Bin Salman has done little for Saudi Arabia apart from a number of foreign policy blunders
Mohammad Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s energetic young Crown Prince, seems to be in a hurry not only to consolidate his domestic power, as monarch-in-waiting, but also to make his mark on the usually dull foreign policy of the kingdom. Saudi foreign policy has always been a behind-the-scenes affair carried...
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Libya’s problems are complicated further by France-Italy competition
During a press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on 30 July, President Donald Trump said, “e recognise Italy’s leadership role in the stabilisation of Libya and North Africa. They’ve been terrific.” Conte responded by repeating his host’s words before adding that the US...
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The abandoned children of Daesh fighters in Libya
At the height of its strength in Libya, Daesh controlled the coastal city of Sirte, about 500 kilometres east of Tripoli, having amassed a sizeable force thanks to hundreds of foreign fighters, most of whom came from Libya’s neighbours such as Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Algeria and even Chad and...
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Europe cannot tackle migration without the African Union
On 28 June, European Union leaders gathered in Malta for a summit specifically to come up with some policy or agreeable solution to stem the flow of migrants and asylum seekers, particularly those coming from Libya, just a short flight away. So far this year, over 100,000 migrants and...
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NATO intervention in Libya resulted in civilian deaths and an environmental disaster
Did NATO use lethal depleted uranium (DU) during its seven-month air campaign against Libya while intervening to support the groups who rebelled against the government of Muammar Gaddafi in the autumn of 2011? Were civilians killed in the round-the-clock bombardment, even though they played no role whatsoever in the...