Richard Lightbown: What does Libya tell us about intervention in Syria and Iran?t

As regional war threatens drastic and unforeseen consequences in the Middle East, some commentators claim that humanitarian benefits justify Western intervention in repressive states. This claim is worth considering in the context of the events that have befallen Libya. No one should be under any illusions about the intentions of Western governments in Libya following their activities throughout the 42 years of Muammar Qadafi's rule. During this time there were 39 coup attempts inspired by US, British and French agencies, most of which were centered on Benghazi and the province of Cyrenaica. Many involved an attempt at assassination, as did the US fighter-bomber attack on Tripoli in 1986, in which eight of the 18 aircraft flying from Britain specifically targeted Col Qadafi's private residence. Qadafi's overthrow began as an uprising in Benghazi which followed a Facebook call, from London on 17 February 2011, to commemorate the 2005 massacre at Abu Salim prison. In response to the ensuing fighting, the UN Security Council unanimously approved resolution 1970 on 26 February. Calling for an end to violence, it required all member states to apply an arms embargo, which also prohibited the provision of technical assistance, training, finance and all other assistance related to military activities. It soon became clear that British forces were in breach of the resolution, when six members of the SAS were taken prisoner by rebels in Benghazi on 4 March. What the troop was trying to achieve, and what went wrong with the operation has never been revealed.