Intervention in Libya
The Responsibility to Protect in North Africa

An original analysis of the evolution of and international diplomatic response to the 2011 Libyan crisis.

Karin Wester (Author)

9781108701853, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 16 June 2022

365 pages, 1 map
22.8 x 15.1 x 2 cm, 0.548 kg

'As a whole, this work draws important lessons for the future of R2P as well as for when its abstract principles are applied to the complex and contentious politics of the UN.' P. F. Diehl, Choice

The 2011 crisis in Libya represents the first case in which the international community invoked 'the Responsibility to Protect' principle, adopted in 2005 by UN member states, to justify coercive measures including sanctions and the use of military force. In this study, Karin Wester meticulously reconstructs and analyzes the evolution of the Libyan crisis, the international community's response, and the manner in which the 'Responsibility to Protect' was applied. Drawing on a wide variety of primary sources including in-depth interviews with politicians and diplomats, this comprehensive account of the 2011 intervention in Libya redresses popular narratives asserting that the intervention was driven primarily by western (neo-colonial) interests or by a desire for regime change. Instead, Wester reveals how the 'Responsibility to Protect' principle was realized to a considerable extent, but also how it provided a highly fragile basis for military enforcement action. Incorporating perspectives from international law, political science and history, this is a compelling and thought-provoking examination of the real-world application of a principle that is deeply rooted in history but presents daunting challenges in implementation.

Introduction
1. The origin of the Responsibility to Protect
2. Authority based on protection in a historical context
3. Libya and the era of Qadhafi's rule
4. The Libyan uprising and the international response, February 15–26, 2011
5. The Libyan uprising and the international response, February 26–March 17, 2011
6. Operation Odyssey Dawn
7. Operation Unified Protector, NATO, and the UN
8. A divided international community confronts a divided Libya
9. Lessons to be learned
Epilogue.

Subject Areas: International organisations & institutions [LBBU], Law [L], United Nations & UN agencies [JPSN1], International relations [JPS], Politics & government [JP]