Libya

Question 1

• What was the Arab Spring?
• When were Libyan protests held?
• What did the protesters want?
• As the protests intensified, what did the government do to protesters?

Answer 1

• A series of protests and uprisings.
• February 2011.
• Their dictator, Gaddafi, to step down.
• They began using lethal force on demonstrators: security forces and mercenaries fired live ammunition into crowds; a tank was used; and people were attacked by artillery and helicopter gunships.

Question 2

• What happened on the 21st of February?
• What was the response?
• What reports arrived on the 23rd of February?
• What did Cameron call for?

Answer 2

• David Cameron condemned the violence of the Gaddafi regime, calling it “appalling and unacceptable”.
• Gaddafi vowed to fight until “his last drop of blood”.
• Reports of stranded UK citizens in Libya needing rescue.
• UN action against Libya.

Question 3

• What happened in March 2011?
• What was OUP?
• When did OUP end?

Answer 3

• OUP was adopted by NATO.
• A NATO operation which consisted of a coalition of NATO allies enforcing an arms embargo, maintaining a no-fly zone and protecting civilian areas from attack.
• It successfully ended on the 31st of October 2011.

Question 4

• What happened in August 2011?
• What happened on the 16th of September 2011?
• What was the NTC?
• What happened on the 20th of October 2011?
• What happened on the 23rd of October 2011?

Answer 4

• Rebel forces launched an offensive on the government, ultimately taking Tripoli.
• Gaddafi evaded capture.
• The National Transition Council, which was reorganised by the UN as the legal representative of Libya, replacing the Gaddafi government.
• Gaddafi was captured and killed.
• The NTC declared the “liberation of Libya” and the official end of the war.