woman supporting
anti-government forces
(all photos are clickable)

The protest movement in Libya, as part of the Arab Spring, began on February 15 with the arrest of Libyan human rights activist Fathi Terbil by the authorities. Organized through the World Wide Web, about 600 people came to the rally in Benghazi. Demands for the release of a public figure turned into slogans about the resignation of the government. In a conflict with representatives of law and order, demonstrators used incendiary mixtures, 40 people were injured. In the mass protest that followed a day later, covering most of the provinces of the state and called the "Day of Wrath", several dozen protesters were injured.

At the end of February, the opposition formed the so-called Transitional National Council (PNC) and called for it to be considered the only legitimate authority. Further, popular protests rapidly took on the character of a Civil War.

Stages of war

Libyan rebel

During the Civil War in Libya, government forces led by the people's leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, were confronted by opposition forces supported by Arab states (LAS) and countries belonging to the NATO bloc. Representatives of local tribes spoke on the side of Gaddafi: Tuareg, Gaddafi, Warfalls. The Amazighs joined the opposition. The involvement of mercenaries is currently a controversial issue, as documentary evidence has never been presented.

Radical Islamists from the Muslim Brotherhood, representatives of Al-Qaeda, former military men, as well as dissidents dissatisfied with the regime of the Libyan leader fought in the opposition camp. Data on the participation of the Qatari armed forces on the side of the troops have been confirmed. It is also reliably known that the weapons of the rebels were supplied by France and Sudan.

Growing conflict

Rebel takes aim at Gaddafi supporter

After the events of February 17 in Benghazi, part of the government army betrayed the Libyan leader and went over to the side of the opposition, after which it was bombed. During the ensuing hostilities, already on February 24, the northeastern region of Africa was captured by the opponents of the people's leader, Benghazi came under the control of the militants, and then the province of Sirte, which later became the last stronghold of Gaddafi's army.

On March 6, the offensive of the rebels was stopped and the army launched a counterattack, using aircraft, artillery, and tanks. And on March 19, she returned to positions on the outskirts of Benghazi, where fierce battles ensued.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, on February 28, 256 people died in Benghazi and 2 thousand people were injured, and on March 2, according to statements by human rights activists from Human Rights Watch, the death toll was 6 thousand people. People fleeing the war fled to Egypt and Tunisia. In early March, the number of refugees reached 180,000.

foreign intervention

French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle

International reaction to Libyan Civil War was not unambiguous. Most international politicians opposed the government led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, forcing him to give up the fight and hand over power to the opposition. On the other hand, some countries - members of the UN - called for the rejection of interference in internal problems sovereign state and the holding of peace negotiations between the warring parties. On March 17, the UN Security Council voted on a resolution providing for the introduction of a no-fly zone over the territory of Libya. This gave the right to foreign powers to attack government troops from the air to "protect the civilian population." It should be noted that Russia abstained from voting.

On March 19, French reconnaissance aircraft invaded the country's space, and on March 20 air force The United States, France and Great Britain launched an attack on government troops, stopping their advance. Cruise missiles were used to destroy military installations. Also, the armed forces of Italy, Denmark, Canada, Belgium and Spain took part in the operation. By the end of March, NATO was fully coordinating the operation.

It was foreign intervention that influenced the outcome of the Civil War in Libya, changing it in favor of the opposition forces.

Defeat

A rebel interrogates a wounded soldier
supporter of Gaddafi

In the second half of April, fighting on the Eastern Front subsided, as Gaddafi's troops were bled dry by NATO air strikes, and the Libyan opposition forces were in need of weapons and did not have military experience to successfully resist the government armed forces. During this period, representatives of the world community, in particular the Russian Foreign Ministry, called for an end to hostilities and a transition to the negotiation process.

But the war continued. And already in July, the PNS troops went on the offensive, and by August 19, the city of Zliten, located just 140 km from the capital Tripoli, fell under the control of the militants, and on August 23, government forces retreated to Sirte, where they were bombed by NATO aircraft. At the end of August, a significant part of Tripoli came under the control of the rebels.

During the battles for Tripoli, the losses of the PNS army amounted to 1,700 people. There is no data on the losses of the government army.

The capture of Tripoli was carried out with the help of British troops special purpose, dressed and armed like rebels.

During further hostilities, the armed formations of the PNS, with the support of NATO forces, continued to occupy new territories. On October 20, the last sections of the city of Sirte controlled by the head of state's troops were stormed, as a result of which the Libyan leader and his son were severely beaten and killed without trial. How Muammar Gaddafi was killed (video).

Results and causes of the war in Libya

Relatives of those killed in the confrontation

Today, Libya is a territory in which there are scattered tribes fighting among themselves. In the once prosperous, from a socio-economic point of view, the country, chaos and poverty reigned, crime increased fivefold.

According to the Iranian ambassador to Russia, 40,000 people died under NATO bombings.

Having captured Sirte, the revolutionaries committed a massacre of 267 people loyal to the colonel; On October 30, graves with 50 corpses of Gaddafi supporters were discovered.

Political scientists, orientalists express different points of view about the reasons for the military intervention and the Civil War in Libya, but, undoubtedly, the main reasons for the invasion were the geopolitical and economic interests of the United States and Western Europe, namely:

• control over oil and fresh water deposits;
• destruction of financial and economic projects of the EU;
• the desire of Gaddafi to create a single state in Africa, uniting countries into a federation, and to introduce a new currency - the golden dinar.

As political and military reasons are called:

• change of the uncontrolled government in the country of Libya;
• expansion and strengthening of the NATO bloc.

Libyans have lost many social guarantees received during the 40-year rule of Colonel M. Gaddafi:

• subsidies for the purchase of housing upon marriage;
• interest-free lending;
• free medical care and education;
• gratuitous transfer of land for the production of agricultural products and subsidizing related construction, etc.

The number of political prisoners in prisons has grown. So, if in former times there were about 6000 of them, then under the current government their number has increased by 2500 people.

The chronicles of the Libyan events in the world media are given very vaguely: from silence and distortion of some facts to the "adding" of events that have not been confirmed to date. I got acquainted with a number of sources on this topic, the basis was taken:

• http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B4%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0 %B0%D1%8F_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%B2_%D0%9B%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B8 #.D0.9F.D1.80.D0.B5.D0.B4.D1.8B.D1.81.D1.82.D0.BE.D1.80.D0.B8.D1.8F
• http://www.gazeta.ru/infographics/politics/Hronika_voiny_v_Livii._Interaktiv.shtml
• http://ria.ru/arab_info/20111020/465658385.html

Map of the fighting in Libya

Here is the summary of my research:

By February 28, a Transitional National Council was formed in Libya, which was headed by the country's former Minister of Justice, Mustafa Muhammad Abd al-Jalil.

In the course of the events that took place, the world community took the following actions:

• The Arab League refused to support the Libyan delegation;
• Ambassadors to Poland, India, Indonesia and the European Union refuse to represent the interests of Libya in the person of Gaddafi;
• The EU called on the UN to remove Libya from the UN Human Rights Council;
• Italy breaks friendship treaty with Libya;
• US freezes $30 billion in Libyan accounts;
• The UN Security Council imposed sanctions prohibiting the supply of weapons and any military materials to Libya, as well as a ban on Gaddafi's international travel and freezing of his overseas assets.

And at that time, the revolutionaries continued their offensive, and by March 2, the battle began for the city of Marta Brega. For 10 days there were fierce battles between the rebels and a battalion of Gaddafi's soldiers in 50 armored vehicles - the rebels won.

But this was only a prelude to the battle for Ras Lanuf, which lasted about a month. By March 30, the rebels were expelled from the city by government forces, and Ras Lanuf went over to the side of Gaddafi.

On March 3, the International Criminal Court begins an investigation into Muammar Gaddafi and his son.

From March 7 to March 19, Gaddafi's troops launched a counteroffensive, the first destination was the city of Bin Jawad, then Ras Lanuf. The victory came from good weapons, but by March 7, the UN Security Council passed a resolution allowing the use of force in Libya, excluding ground intervention. On March 12, the League of Arab States recognizes the Transitional National Council as the legitimate authority of Libya.

An important moment in the history of the Libyan conflict is the intervention of France and the United States on March 19, 2011, after the Security Council resolution on "protecting the civilian population of Libya by all possible means."

The troops were allowed to destroy any troops threatening the lives of the population, but only from the air.

In his speech to the Libyan people, Gaddafi said to the countries of the international coalition: “You are not ready for war, but we are. We are happy that this moment has come" and that "You are the aggressors, you are animals. All tyrants will sooner or later fall under the pressure of the people.

As a result of the shelling of government troops, Gaddafi's army had to retreat. "Seizing the moment" the revolutionaries took control of Ajdabiya, Marsa el-Breg and Ras Lanuf.

On April 30, the Libyan leader delivered a televised address to the people, announcing that he was ready to conclude a truce, calling on NATO countries to negotiate to end the international military operation in Libya.

By March 31, NATO assumes command of the intervention.As for the command in Libya, on April 1, the Transitional National Council invites Gaddafi to voluntarily leave his post and transfer power to them.

After a series of battles taking place on the territory of the country, France, Great Britain and Italy send military advisers to Libya, and the United States provides humanitarian aid in the amount of 25 million dollars. But not all help is good, on April 30, the youngest son of Muammar Gaddafi and his three sons die in a bombardment by NATO troops.

By the beginning of May, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands announced that they refused to recognize the Transitional National Council as the official government, and by the end of the month, Russia, represented by Putin, offered Gadaffi to relinquish power.

The global community continues to actively intervene:

• June 10 African Union calls on Gaddafi to step down
• EU tightens sanctions
• International Court of Justice Declares Gaddafi
• Bulgaria, Croatia and later Poland and Japan recognize the Transitional National Council as official authority
• UK begins shipping 'non-lethal war material' to Libya
• Egypt closes border with Libya
• In August, Russia puts forward its own sanctions against Gaddafi

WHAT OBAMA DID NOT HIDE

The main "watcher" of democracy in the world quite unambiguously deciphered why Gaddafi was killed. So that others would be discouraged from swaying at the dollar!

The world cannot change. Elite won't allow it. The order is fixed for the ages. All roles are assigned. Loan interest, according to their concepts, should guide humanity until the end of its existence. Anyone who is against turns into a mortal enemy of the “democrats” from the USA. Lesson taught.

Leaders of other countries are invited to think: is it worth becoming patriots, or is it better to continue to "sell" their countries? Obama was very clear: The United States has proven that it is main country in the world. They will not tolerate resistance. Revenge will be cruel. Nobody can just die.

For dissent, countries will be wiped off the face of the Earth, peoples will be destroyed. The Western version of the structure, based on biblical algorithms and stereotypes, the political and economic system does not recognize pity and compassion. The world must remain unipolar under any circumstances. Means and forces, and most importantly - human lives, no one will regret.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE OVERTHROW OF GADDAFI: DESTRUCTION, ONE DESTRUCTION…

The worst consequence civil war in Libya was the death of several tens of thousands of people. In addition, a large number of Libyans lost their homes and were forced to migrate to neighboring countries and Europe at the risk of their lives when crossing mediterranean sea.

The most important political consequence was the actual collapse of the country, caused by inter-tribal struggle, as well as the conflict between the center and the regions, not to mention the democracy that the Western countries promised the Libyans.

In the economic realm, Libya's budgetary losses alone amounted to $14 billion, according to a Geopolicity report. The level of GDP per capita in the period from 2010 to 2013 fell by almost 1.5 thousand dollars (13400 to 12029, more recent data, for obvious reasons, no - approx. IslamReview: http://islamreview.ru/est-mnenie/livia-4-goda-bez-kaddafi/ ). Rising inflation, which led to a doubling of the money supply, led to the impoverishment of the population.

The overthrow of Gaddafi led to an increase in crime in the country and "opened the door" for gangster formations that run amok in Libya to this day.

MILITARY SITUATION IN LIBYA IN 2016

There is a war going on in Syria. Participating in this war are the government army, the Russian Aerospace Forces, limited contingents of dozens of sympathetic states, private armies and hundreds of militant groups of various persuasions.

The war is being fought for the right to have a history, for the right to be called a person, in general, for all the rights that the Islamists are trying to take away from the people of Syria. But this is Syria. They were not allowed to overthrow the Assad government and plunge the country into absolute hell.

But in Libya, official power simply does not exist. And no one even thinks to put things in order in a previously prosperous country. Is it any wonder that it is there that ISIS and Al-Qaeda militants (both those and those terrorists whose organizations are banned in Russia) are activated, trying to recoup their defeat in Syria?

The situation of Libya today is characterized by a complete absence of signs of statehood. The country plunged into internecine war and fell apart, part of the territory was seized by terrorist organizations.

Let's see what's going on in Libya.

(Map of the division of Libya. Reds - Selected government. Greens - alternative government General National Congress. Yellow - Tuareg tribes and other raiders. Blue - lands of local self-rulers. Gray - ISIS and other jihadists)

After the overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011, the tribes began to cut each other. The main forces are a tribe, conditionally, of the descendants of King Idris I, with a center in Trippoli, and a tribe of relatives of Gaddafi, with a center in the city of Sirte.

A whole field of combat groups, large and small, has grown around them, from the semi-savage Tuareg tribes to the regular army of Sudan, which occupied part of the oil-bearing regions. A period of constant confrontation began.

Gradually, the Gaddafi clan turned out to be defeated (or reborn, as you like), but the coalition of groups near Trippoli also split (it was not united, by and large). By 2014, two rival governments had formed vying for power in Libya.

On the one hand, a capable parliament was somehow elected in Tobruk. On his behalf, the regular army operates (at least what is called an army). It's more or less secular. On the other hand, the pro-Islamic General National Congress in Tripoli is part of a clan marked by the descendants of Idris, but has changed very significantly, having absorbed a lot of other things.

ISIS has intervened in this confrontation. He flirts with some, negotiates with others, then fights with both, and so on. But Libya was not the main target for ISIS - they need recruits for Syria. Now that Syria is lost, some of the Islamists are returning to Libya, where they are stepping up their activities.

It is noteworthy that the US and the UN are also not left out. They decided to thrust another force into the process - the presidential council (Government of People's Salvation, PNS) - and demanded that both those and others and thirds recognize this council as the only legitimate authority, defeat ISIS, stop the flow of refugees across the sea, build a prosperous state by selling oil, etc. As a result, this council sits in the same port where the Western military landed it, and is afraid to go anywhere.

Is it worth it to say that the stability of the state is thus not strengthened in any way?

INTERNAL POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY

Two-thirds of all Libyan hydrocarbon resources are located in Cyrenaica, which no longer wants to "feed" the entire country. In 2013, the capital of Cyrenaica set up its own government with the aim of

"resource sharing in the best way and the destruction of the centralized system inherited by the authorities in Tripoli.”

This situation is reminiscent of the confrontation between Catalonia in Spain, but even more similar to the mood of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Following Cyrenaica, the region of Fezzana also proclaimed its autonomy. The authorities of the region even elected their own president, to whose post Mr. Nouri al-Quizi was appointed. official reason separation from the center was the inability of the latter to solve the primary problems of the region ...

Thus, it becomes obvious that the new authorities cannot solve the problem of disarming the militant revolutionary detachments. Only a small part of them agreed to come under the control of official authorities, while the majority of militants obey only their own. field commanders, still defending only their own, purely selfish interests.

But it should be noted that “the split went much deeper - at the level of regions and tribes, which turned out to be much more difficult to agree with each other.

5 years after the death of the Jamahiriya, it turned out that there was no longer a single Libyan people - there are different tribes, to varying degrees dissatisfied with the state of affairs, who considered the fight against Gaddafi primarily as an opportunity to change their position, increase income from oil wealth, gain greater autonomy and etc.

According to orientalists, the scenario of what happened in Iraq is already being repeated in Libya today. Thus, Iraqi Kurdistan has not been subject to the authorities of Baghdad for a long time, but formally it is still part of Iraq. Meanwhile, the Iraqi Kurds independently enter into agreements for oil supplies with other countries, while ignoring the center. Now Libyan Cyrenaica is moving towards the same scenario.

In this regard, an interesting theory is put forward, according to which in modern Iraq and Libya

“new forms of statehood have been formed in the Greater Middle East, which fully correspond to such a political category as “failed state”, i.e. "failed state".

The attributes of this system are the reduced role of the central government and only the formal commitment of regional leaders to the idea of ​​the unity of the state. Yes, in a country created on this principle, some common institutions of power are allowed, a common representation in international organizations and so on, but with regard to general access to oil and gas, it is necessary to negotiate with the regional authorities.

It is clear that such a torn country does not and cannot have a normal future. It is also obvious that the lessons of Libya should also be considered by other countries that are carried away by the dubious ideas of the “Arab spring” and “velvet revolutions”. Especially Ukraine, the scenario of the collapse of which is more and more reminiscent of the Libyan one ...

But the matter is not limited to Libya alone - another country in the Arab world is now plunged into the abyss of chaos. Shiite Houthi rebels have seized power in Yemen. The parliament was dissolved, and a temporary presidential council was formed to govern the country. The question arises: how will this coup affect the situation with international terrorism? No way!

AFTERWORD

The birth and death of Gaddafi changed the world. With his life, Gaddafi proved that patriotism, of course, can transform the homeland, but it cannot save from an ideological vacuum, empty patriotism built on the well-fed life of the crowd is deadly. By his heroic death, he bought time for the other victims of the American restructuring of the Middle East and forever entered into historical immortality.

"Livia was my biggest mistake"

- so US President Barack Obama in an interview with the TV channel fox news summed up his presidency.

He said that his administration did not calculate the consequences of the overthrow of the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Libya - once upon a time wealthy state North Africa, and now turned into a pariah country with constant terrorist attacks and skirmishes, is it a mistake of the West? Has anyone thought about the people?

As we can see, Washington, betting on chaos in the Arab world, believes that its policy is in the long-term interests of the United States. The presence of such a theory proves that there are forces in the political, diplomatic and military leadership of the United States for whom stability is nothing, and who are sure that destabilization and escalation are the best way to ensure the interests of their country.

This removes the seeming contradiction between the explosion provoked by America in the Greater Middle East and its state interests.

What awaits the country in the future? Of course, only a strong and authoritative government can keep the fragmented Libyan clans within the framework of one state. No elected committee can cope with such a role. Who can become the new leader of the country? It's not clear yet.

The Libyan drama should be perceived in the modern world not only as great tragedy, but also an instructive lesson, first of all, for its neighbors, as well as for Ukraine and other countries. The disasters that have fallen on the shoulders of the Libyans should open their eyes to the true motivation of our Western "partners" who carry out the so-called "democratization" solely for their own purposes.


The moral responsibility for the assassination of Gaddafi lies with the leaders of NATO member states. They distorted the meaning of the UN resolution and started a bloody war.

The Libyan precedent should be the latest in this sense. And it is no coincidence that China and Russia did not give NATO and the United States permission to destroy Bashar al-Assad in Syria and did not vote for a resolution that formally imposed sanctions, but which would most likely be interpreted by NATO countries as the right to kill the Syrian leadership.

After all, there is a very obvious trend: first - Milosevic, then - Hussein, and then - Gaddafi. None of these politicians attacked the US and Europe.

Youth Analytical Group

In February 2011, against the backdrop of the events of the "Arab Spring" in Tunisia and Egypt, mass protests began in Benghazi, the second largest city in Libya, the capital of the province of Cyrenaica. The demonstrators demanded the democratization of political life and the removal of Muammar Gaddafi from power. Quite quickly, the protests spread to other cities. In less than a month, the rebels managed to take control of the territory of Cyrenaica and launch an offensive in other regions.

Government forces used artillery, tanks and aircraft against the rebels. Under these conditions, on February 26, 2011, the UN Security Council imposed an embargo on arms supplies to Libya. On March 17, the Security Council adopted resolution 1973, which provided for the introduction of a no-fly zone over the entire territory of the country and the protection of the local population "by all necessary measures"(Russia and China abstained in the vote). This document was used by Western countries and their Arab allies as a basis for military intervention in the Libyan conflict. Already on March 19, the French Air Force launched the first air strikes on Gaddafi's troops. On March 23, a full-scale NATO military operation began" United Defender "(Unified Protector). Thanks to the support Western countries The opposition managed to establish control over almost the entire territory of the country. The last stronghold of Muammar Gaddafi was his hometown of Sirte, where on October 20, 2011 he was captured and killed by rebels. On October 31, the NATO operation was completed.

dual power

As a result of the civil war and foreign intervention, power over for the most part territory of the country received the Transitional National Council (PNC). This provisional body, established in February 2011, has been recognized by most countries in the world. In September 2011, he received the status of the legitimate representative of the Libyan people in the UN. It was led by Mustafa Abd al-Jalil, former Libyan Minister of Justice.

On August 9, 2012, the GNA handed over powers to the General National Congress (GNC), elected in the parliamentary elections in July 2012. The Union of National Forces, which consisted of liberal parties, received almost half of the mandates, almost a quarter went to the Islamist Construction and Justice Party, the political wing of the Libyan Association " Muslim Brotherhood (International Religious-Political Association). The main task of the VNK was the preparation of a draft constitution and the organization of elections to a permanent legislative body. However, in June 2013, power in the VNK passed into the hands of the Islamists (after the election of one of their proteges to the post of chairman).

In June 2014, elections were held for a permanent parliament - the House of Representatives (PR). However, the Supreme People's Commissariat, in which the position of the Islamists had significantly strengthened, refused to transfer the powers to govern the country to the elected parliament. Because of this, a situation of dual power has developed in Libya. The General National Congress and the Government of National Salvation formed by it met in Tripoli and controlled the western part of the country, and the House of Representatives and the government formed by it, recognized by the international community, in Tobruk and controlled the eastern regions.

Armed clashes 2011–2014

Against the backdrop of political instability in the country, clashes between opponents and supporters continued. new government, as well as between different factions and clans. They were of a different nature - from small skirmishes to full-scale hostilities, as in 2012 in Kufr or Bani Walid. In the Kufra region, the active phase of hostilities lasted several months, hundreds of people became victims, thousands were forced to leave the city. The city of Bani Walid, a stronghold of Gaddafi's supporters, was subjected to massive attacks from the ground and air, during its siege, pro-government fighters used tanks and Grad installations.

Against the backdrop of political instability in the country, clashes continued between opponents and supporters of the new government, as well as between various groups and clans. They were of a different nature - from small skirmishes to full-scale hostilities, as in 2012 in Kufr or Bani Walid

In just one day, October 24, when the government announced the storming of the city, about 600 people died and about a thousand were injured. In September 2012, radical Islamists attacked the US consulate in Benghazi, killing four Americans, including US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. Since 2014, the armed confrontation between different Islamist groups and government troops.

In parallel with the government forces against the Islamists in Libya, the influential General Khalifa Haftar began to wage an armed struggle. On May 16, 2014, combat units loyal to him launched Operation Libyan Dignity. According to media reports, Khalifa Haftar enjoys the support of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. In September 2016, his forces managed to take control of the ports of the “oil crescent” (the coast of the Gulf of Sirte), thanks to which the first tanker with Libyan oil since 2014 was sent from Ras Lanuf to Italy.

Government of National Unity

The international community, concerned about the continuation of hostilities and the continued dual power, has repeatedly made attempts to resolve the situation in Libya. In 2015, several rounds of the inter-Libyan dialogue were held under the auspices of the UN. On December 17, 2015, following a regular meeting in the Moroccan city of Skhirat, an agreement was signed on the formation of the Government national unity(PNE). On December 23, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2259, recognizing the PNU as the only legitimate authority in the country. Libyan businessman Faiz Sarraj was appointed prime minister. In addition, the Presidential Council was formed as supreme body executive power.

March 2016 new office moved to Tripoli, where the Islamist Government of National Salvation agreed to transfer its powers to him. However, the House of Representatives, sitting in Tobruk, refused to recognize the GNU and rejected the proposed composition of the government three times. In September 2016, Faiz Saraj announced his intention to present a new cabinet, as well as reach an agreement on joining forces with General Khalifa Haftar.

ISIS in Libya

The situation in Libya is complicated by the actions of militants of the Islamic State group (IS, terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation. - Approx. TASS) who entered the country in the spring of 2014 through practically unguarded borders. The disintegrating state after the overthrow of Gaddafi has become an attractive target for global jihad. In February 2015, the militants occupied the city of Sirte and, having extended their influence to smaller cities in the north of the country, by the spring of 2015 they already controlled about 290 km of the Mediterranean coast, where more than a dozen fields and oil refineries are located. IS training camps were deployed throughout the country.

In May 2016, the GNU formations launched an operation to expel ISIS terrorists from the country. In August 2016, under an agreement with the Sarraj cabinet, the US Air Force carried out strikes on ISIS positions. On October 12, 2016, the Libyan military announced the completion of the military part of the operation to liberate Sirte.

Results of five years

The revolution, the intervention of Western countries and the removal of Gaddafi had devastating consequences for the Libyan state, population and economy, Libya has become a country for the transit of international crime, illegal migration and arms smuggling.

According to World Bank, the conflict in Libya led to an economic collapse due to a fall in oil export revenues, which form the basis of the country's economy. Oil production has quadrupled, falling from 1.6 million barrels per day in 2010 to 400 thousand barrels per day in 2015. In 2016, the country was able to bring this figure to 550 thousand barrels per day. GDP per capita has halved - from 11.9 thousand dollars in 2010 to 5.4 thousand in 2015

In 2011, during the first eight months of the conflict, approximately 14,000 people died in the country (these estimates were official representatives Libya in 2013, initially various sources cited data on 30-50 thousand dead). Number of people killed in clashes 2012–2016 is estimated at about 6 thousand people (data from the Libya Body Count website; official statistics, as well as UN data, have not been published).

Due to the constant hostilities ongoing in the country, since November 2014 alone, about 450 thousand residents of Libya have found themselves in the position of temporarily displaced persons. In addition, poorly controlled borders have led to a huge flow of refugees from African countries. In 2015, more than 150,000 people crossed over to Europe via the Mediterranean through Libya. Now there are up to a million refugees in Libyan territory.

Despite the successes of the GNU in the fight against ISIS, the country remains the rear base of this group, its foothold outside of Syria and Iraq. Militants flow here from the zone of other armed conflicts - Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, African countries - and threaten to destabilize the entire region.

According to the World Bank, the conflict in Libya has led to an economic collapse due to falling oil revenues, which form the basis of the country's economy. Oil production has quadrupled, falling from 1.6 million barrels per day in 2010 to 400 thousand barrels per day in 2015. In 2016, the country was able to bring this figure to 550 thousand barrels per day. The share of oil exports in GDP in 2010 was approximately 60%, in 2015 this figure fell five times - to 12%. GDP per capita has halved - from $11.9 thousand in 2010 to $5.4 thousand in 2015.

In April 2016, US President Barack Obama, assessing NATO's intervention in the conflict, admitted mistakes in predicting the situation in Libya after the overthrow of Gaddafi. In September 2016, a special commission British Parliament noted that "the policy of the United Kingdom in Libya was based on false assumptions and an incomplete understanding of the specifics of the country."

Problems and controversies North Africa, the war in Libya, the analysis of the processes taking place in the area are still in the spotlight of the world community. And this is justified, now in this region the course of world politics is largely determined for years to come, which is why the analysis of the processes that accompanied the development of the war in Libya is extremely relevant. Well-known expert Anatoly Tsyganok discusses this on the pages of the Arms of Russia news agency. >

11:44 / 13.01.12

NATO war in Libya: analysis, lessons

The problems and contradictions of North Africa, the war in Libya, the analysis of the processes taking place in this region are still in the center of attention of the world community.

And this is justified, now in this region the course of world politics is largely determined for years to come, which is why the analysis of the processes that accompanied the development of the war in Libya is extremely relevant. Well-known expert Anatoly Tsyganok argues about this on the pages of the Arms of Russia news agency.

The main lesson that the United States taught not only to Libya, but to the whole world - they showed the technology of intervention. Getting ready first public opinion against a certain state by putting it on the list of unreliable. Then the procedure of search and punishment for "sins" before the world civilization begins. Further announced different kind prohibitions, sanctions (embargo). Then, within a month, there follows a period of "holding" in harsh conditions until the maximum possible weakening. During this period, "reconnaissance in force" is carried out, all possible targets are determined. Possible allies of the future victim are neutralized. And only after that the open preparation and conduct of military aggression begins.

The wars with the confrontation of powers - coalitions, the confrontation of armies are being replaced by a global permanent war, which is being waged continuously in all points of the Earth by all possible means: political, economic, military, technical, informational. These operations violate the rules international law. The civilian population is used to test the latest technological developments.

Moreover, in the intervention against Libya, the US, Britain and France, with the support of several other NATO countries, made an attempt to legitimize their aggression with the help of an Arab fig leaf in the form of Qatari aircraft and ground troops. Assessing the groupings created to conduct combat operations against Libya, one can state the absolute technical superiority of the United States in the space grouping, electronic warfare equipment, cruise missiles ah sea and air based, navigation systems in the operational and tactical level.

The US and NATO military operation with the lured National Council against Gaddafi's semi-guerrilla army raises a lot of questions. The Libyan war, which has many differences from past wars waged by the US and NATO, is attracting the attention of specialists. For military specialists, the process of creating air, sea groups and actions of special units of the USA, France, Great Britain, and Italy is of particular interest. Operational camouflage of NATO and Libyan forces, conducting NATO aerospace operations, the strategy and tactics of the US and NATO groups, the tactics of the rebels, Gaddafi's government forces.

The use of new means of destruction in the operation, information and psychological warfare, financial warfare, ecological warfare, combat and material support. Spatial scope of NATO Operation Allied Defender: North America, Canada, most of Europe, Turkish part of Asia. The fighting took place throughout Libya, the control of ships throughout the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea.

If we adhere to the accepted classification of wars and conflicts, the main criterion of which is the number of victims and refugees, then the 9-month-old conflict in 2011 in northern Africa ranked third after Iraq and Afghanistan. Total dead and wounded are unknown. According to the Libyan Red Cross Society as of July, more than 1,100 civilians were killed in NATO bombings, including 400 women and children. More than 6,000 Libyan civilians were injured in the bombing, many of them seriously. During armed conflict more than 400,000 refugees were forced to leave Libya. The total loss of refugees is up to 6,000 people.

Before February events In 2011, Libya's GDP per capita, calculated at purchasing power parity, was $13,800. This is more than two times more than in Egypt and Algeria, and one and a half times more than in Tunisia. There were 10 universities and 14 research centers in the country, children preschool institutions, schools and hospitals that meet international standards. Libya ranked first among African states in terms of human development and life expectancy - 77 years. (For comparison: in Russia, the average life expectancy is a little over 69 years). By the way, Libya got into the Guinness Book of Records as a country in which for the period 2001-2005. was the most low level inflation - 3.1%.

The main thing is that human rights, if they are understood as the right to a decent existence, have been implemented in Libya to a much greater extent than in democratic Russia, Ukraine or Kazakhstan. Gaddafi made it clear that he saw the future economic development of Africa in general and Libya in particular more connected to China and Russia than to the West, helps to understand that it was only a matter of time before the CIA put its contingency plan first to overthrow the Libyan government. So not caring about the person made Western democracies take a course to overthrow the existing government in Libya. Unrest in Libya, which escalated into a civil war, began in mid-February. The country was actually divided into the West controlled by Gaddafi and the East, which was held by the armed forces of the rebels.

The death of civilians is the main claim international community to the Gaddafi regime. Earlier, rebels fighting against the dictator's troops turned to the permanent members of the UN Security Council with a request to impose an air blockade against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. The League of Arab States spoke in favor of a ban on aviation flights and the Gulf Cooperation Council over Libya. NATO and the UN Security Council are discussing military measures against the Libyan authorities, where more than 2,000 people have already become victims of the civil war.

France and Great Britain proposed to the UN Security Council a draft resolution on Libya. The UN Security Council demands an immediate ceasefire and violence against the civilian population in Libya; imposes a ban on all flights over Libya, except for humanitarian flights and the evacuation of foreigners; authorizes any actions to protect civilians and the territories inhabited by them, with the exception of the entry of occupying troops; allows the inspection of those ships and aircraft on which weapons and mercenaries can be delivered to Libya; imposes a ban on all flights to Libya; freezes the assets of the Libyan leadership; expands the list of Libyan officials subject to travel sanctions.

The vote in the UN Security Council on the Anglo-French draft Security Council Resolution No. 1973, which actually opened the way for military intervention, revealed a unique international political situation: the BRIC countries on the issue of Libya demonstrated disagreement with Europe, especially with the United States: Brazil, Russia , India, China (and from European countries Germany) did not support Resolution No. 1973.

The consequences of double standards are obvious: - an external arbiter took sides in the conflict (there were no innocents there) and ceased to be an arbitrator; - unilateral support led to the preponderance of the forces of one of the conflicting parties, which only intensified the civil confrontation and claimed more large quantity lives. Confirmation " double standard"for "us" and "them" - Bahrain, where dozens of people were killed during similar protests, Western democracies only shook their fingers (placed on the list of human rights violators), because there is an American naval base.

If we analyze the wars over the past 20 years, we can see that the decisive factor in them was not only the military defeat of the armed forces of the defending army, but the political isolation of the leaders. So it was on January 17, 1991, when the US launched Operation Desert Storm against Iraq; this was the case in August-September 1995, when NATO aircraft carried out the "Moderate Force" air operation against the Bosnian Serbs, which played a role in stopping the Serbian offensive and changing the military situation in favor of the Muslim-Croat forces; this was the case on December 17-20, 1998, when the combined forces of the United States and Great Britain conducted Operation Desert Fox in Iraq; this was the case during the military operation of the NATO bloc "Allied Force" (originally called "Decisive Force") against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the period from March 24 to June 10, 1999; With the same preparation, on October 7, 2001, the United States, at the head of NATO troops, launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Libya and Russia. Tripoli, however, did not forget that Russia, which was considered a friendly state, in 1992 dramatically changed its attitude towards Libya and, in fact, fully supported the introduction of international sanctions against it. A few years later, as is known, the Russian position changed. However, the first, very strong resentment remained, as did distrust of Moscow's policy. It is very difficult to overcome this. Apparently, this is why Tripoli did not fulfill the agreements reached in April 2008 on the purchase of Russian weapons, despite the fact that in return Russia wrote off the Soviet-era debt of Libya in the amount of $4.5 billion.

No progress was made with the implementation of the $ 2.3 billion contract received by the Russian Railways for the construction of railway Sirte - Benghazi, although the branch was scheduled to open as early as September 2009. The Kremlin's hopes for Libya on the issue of creating a "gas OPEC", in which Russia considered Tripoli as one of its main partners, did not come true. Libya shied away from participating in the organization, thereby jeopardizing the entire project. At the same time, Libya, until recently, was ready to host a Russian naval base in the port of Benghazi. On the eve of the events, a detachment of warships visited Libya Northern Fleet Russian Federation, led by the heavy nuclear missile cruiser "Peter the Great". In the port of Tripoli, heading to the shores of Somalia, the patrol ship of the Baltic Fleet Neustrashimy also called. As the Libyan leader hoped, the Russian military presence was to become a guarantee of non-attack on Libya by the United States.

Libyan grouping of forces and means. The armed forces of Libya had sufficient potential to counter external aggression. As for air defense, Gaddafi had 4 anti-aircraft missile brigades equipped with S-200VE Vega anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM), 6 S-75M Desna air defense brigades and 3 S-125M Neva-M air defense brigades each. and "Square" ("Wasp"), as well as portable air defense systems SA-7 old Soviet model. In total, according to experts, at least 216 anti-aircraft missiles.

Libya also had up to 500 mobile-based tactical and operational-tactical missiles. Naval Forces The Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya included the navy, naval aviation and coast guard.

The Libyan fleet consisted of eleven warships, including two Project 641 submarines, two Project 1159 frigates, one Project 1234 corvette, one PS-700 landing ship, five Project 266ME minesweepers and fourteen missile boats (six Project 205 and eight type "Combatant-2G"), as well as up to twenty auxiliary vessels and more than fifty high-speed remotely controlled vehicles. Aviation of the Navy consisted of 24 combat-ready helicopters, including 12 anti-submarine and 5 defective ones.

Another 6 faulty machines were formally listed in the Navy. The Libyan Coast Guard in 2008 included up to 70 patrol boats of various displacements. The ships of the Libyan fleet were based in the naval bases of Al-Khurna (headquarters of the Navy), Al-Khum and Tobruk. Bases in Benghazi, Derna, Bordia, Tripoli, Tarabelus, Darua were also used as maneuverable ones. The submarines were based at Ras Hilal, and the naval aviation was based at Al Ghidrabiyala. mobile batteries anti-ship missiles SS-C-3s from the coastal defense were deployed on vehicle launchers in the areas of Tobruk, Benghazi and Al-Daniya.

Libyan Air Force numbered 23,000 people personnel(including air defense). They had 379 combat aircraft, including 12 bombers (six Tu-22 and Su-24MK each), 151 fighter-bombers (40 MiG-23BN, 30 Mirage 5D / DE, 14 Mirage 5DD, 14 Mirage F- 1 AD, 53 Su-20/22), 205 fighters (45 MiG-21, 75 MiG-23, 70 MiG-25, 15 Mirage F-1 ED), 11 reconnaissance aircraft (4 Mirage 5DR, 7 MiG- 25RB). There were also 145 helicopters: 41 combat (29 Mi-25, 12 Mi-35), 54 multipurpose (4 CH-47, 34 Mi-8/17, 11 SA-316, 5 Agusta-Bell AB-206) and 50 training Mi-2. It must be said that it is a great success for the West in its military operation against Libya that Russia, which joined the anti-Libyan sanctions of the UN Security Council on March 10, did not manage to significantly implement the military contracts concluded with Tripoli in 2008. Military experts note that the Western coalition would have had a much harder time if Gaddafi had purchased before the start of the war modern weapons- fortunately, oil revenues made it possible to purchase effective means air defense and combat aircraft. But the Libyan leader could not choose between Russia and France, and as a result, the ground forces of the Jamahiriya never gained effective protection from air strikes.

It was assumed that Libya, in particular, will acquire 12 Su-35 multi-role fighters, 48 ​​T-90S tanks, a certain number of anti-aircraft missile systems/ZRK/ S-125 "Pechora", "Tor-M2E" and S-300PMU-2 "Favorit", as well as diesel-electric submarines of project 636 "Kilo". In addition, Russia was going to supply Libya with spare parts and carry out maintenance, repair and modernization of previously purchased military equipment, including the Osa-AKM air defense system and T-72 tanks. It was also about the supply of lung and small arms Russian-made, as well as a batch of sea mines worth $500 million. By the time the international embargo was established, Russian gunsmiths had managed to conclude contracts with Tripoli in the amount of about $2 billion. worth about 1.8 billion dollars. All these modern and very effective weapons did not get into Libya and are unlikely to ever get there now.

The decision on the operation of the US and NATO in Libya - "Odyssey Dawn". In fact, the US and NATO conducted four operations in the Mediterranean (UK Ellamy, France Harmattan, Canada Mobile, NATO Allied Defender). In addition to the obvious - the implementation of the UN Security Council Decision, there are hidden goals. Main goal: solve the problem of North Africa by gaining a foothold in Libya. Geopolitical goal: to expel China from Libya, to prevent Russian fleet based in Libya and Syria. Political: to punish Gaddafi for refusing to join the US Joint Command in Africa, to deprive Europe of control over Libya's oil reserves. Military - to defeat the armed forces of M. Gaddafi, to test in real combat conditions the theoretical provisions of the United States Joint Command of the Armed Forces in the African zone, to test the possibility of a rapid build-up of the NATO grouping and preparation for an operation in the combat conditions of the desert.

Military - technical - to conduct mass tests in real combat conditions of new weapons: the Florida Ohio-type submarine missile carrier, the Tomahawk Block IV (TLAM-E) tactical cruise missile, the aircraft electronic warfare US Navy EA-18G Growler, British Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter, AC-130U heavily armed ground support aircraft, MO-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter.

Information - psychological: to test new forms of information and psychological warfare using the American propaganda aircraft Lockheed EC-130E Commando Solo and conducting special propaganda against the troops of M. Gaddafi and the population of Libya. Banking - exclude and prevent Gaddafi from creating a new banking system in Africa, which threatened to leave the IMF out of African affairs, The World Bank and various other Western banking structures. Financial - use financial weapons. Repeat the success of the CIA in Iraq, where four commanders of the army corps were bribed.

By the beginning of the operation, in relative proximity to the Libyan coast, a large group US Air Force and Navy and NATO. Twenty-five warships submarines Western coalition, including three ships of the US Navy with Tomahawk missiles on board, and support vessels of the 2nd and 6th US fleets, including the aircraft carrier Enterprise, the landing helicopter carriers Kersage and Ponce, as well as the flagship (headquarters ) the Mount Whitney ship. The deployment of ships of the 2nd and 6th US fleets in the adjacent Libyan territory made it relatively easy to prohibit surface warships from sailing on the high seas.

A powerful US-NATO aviation group for reconnaissance aviation and electronic warfare was created. AT air operation"Odysseus. Dawn "participated from the USA: fighter-bombers, multifunctional light fighters, carrier-based attack aircraft, strategic bombers, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, ground support aircraft, control and reconnaissance system carrier aircraft, tanker aircraft, helicopters, military transport aircraft, coastal patrol aircraft, military transport aircraft.

US and NATO strategists miscalculated, assuming that the military operation would be completed in a few weeks. Initially, the military operation in Libya was scheduled for a period until June 27. Later, Western countries decided to extend their presence in the skies over the Jamahiriya. NATO and its partners have decided to extend their mission in Libya for another 90 days, until the end of September. At the end of September, the leadership of the North Atlantic bloc extended hostilities until the New Year. During the nine months of the war, the failure of political and military coordination in the NATO bloc was demonstrated. France, which initiated the military operation, could not have done anything with M. Gaddafi without American jammers, tankers, AWACS aircraft and cruise missiles. The British, in order to use a dozen Tornado fighter-bombers for the sake of prestige, had to leave most of their fleet in England without spare parts and stop flying the country's air defense fighters. The operation in Libya is a very limited military conflict. And if the Europeans, already a month or two after it began, are experiencing a shortage of ammunition, then one should ask, what type of war were they generally preparing for? This war once again showed the level of worthlessness (without the United States) of the military machine of Europe (NATO) and the level of its degradation.

Key lessons:

The first. International law can be violated and become new law, if its "expediency" is approved by the eight leading countries of the world;

Second. The events in the Middle East have shown that the principle of force is becoming the main dominant principle of international law. Therefore, any country should think about its security.

Third. Double standards have become the rule in international politics;

Fourth. The West can no longer rely solely on US leadership. While the United States continues to be in many ways the "indispensable power" it has been for the past 60 years, this is no longer enough to make international initiatives successful.

Fifth. FROM Countries with new economies, primarily the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China), which are expected to be able to throw an economic challenge to the West in this century, do not now demonstrate the ability to political and diplomatic leadership. Thus, of the five states that abstained during the vote in the UN Security Council on Resolution 1973 regarding Libya, four are leaders in the group of states with a new economy: Brazil, Russia, India, China.

Sixth. The world community has become more sensitive to the problem of the use of military force, whether in Russia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan or Libya, considering it from the standpoint of adequacy.

Seventh. The war in Libya once again showed that the absolutization of military force does not eliminate political issues, but, on the contrary, postpones their decision in time. Virtually everywhere the US and NATO use military force problems are not being solved, but are getting worse. Restoring them, according to the US and NATO, should be done by others.

Eighth. France returned to the NATO military organization, once again creating a system of Franco-British privileged partnerships, while Germany placed itself outside the Atlantic context.

Ninth. Military operations have shown that the Libyan army of M. Gaddafi is able to fight against the US and NATO, the rebels and the armed formations of Al-Qaeda for nine months.

Conclusions:

1. The speed of development of an unfavorable military-political situation can significantly outpace the speed of creating a new Russian army with perfect means of conducting armed struggle.

2. Military aggression against Russia is possible in the event of a maximum weakening of the economic, military and moral potential, and the lack of readiness of citizens to defend their homeland.