Unity and disunity: Exploring the effects of Foreign Policy Differences among US, France, and the UK: A Case Study of the 2011 Libya Intervention
Keywords
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Issue Date
2024-07-10
Language
en
Document type
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Title
ISSN
Volume
Issue
Startpage
Endpage
DOI
Abstract
This study examines the 2011 Libyan foreign-imposed regime change intervention under the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P) principle. It investigates how foreign policy differences among the United States, France, and the United Kingdom contributed to the failures during and after the intervention. With the emergence of the R2P doctrine, the definition of sovereignty expanded to include humanitarian values, emphasizing the international community’s responsibility to prevent and respond to the four crimes of atrocity. However, the indeterminacy of R2P pillars two and three, reflected in UN Security Council’s authorization to take all necessary measures to protect civilians, allowed coalition members to interpret the ‘protect’ function differently, leading to varied actions and objectives during the intervention. As a result, the limited intervention to protect civilians drifted into a policy of regime change by military means. Initially aimed at protecting civilians, the intervention in Libya led to state collapse, prolonged instability, and ongoing conflict. This has raised serious doubts about the effectiveness and application of R2P, given the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Libya. The Libyan case is thus central to ongoing debates about whether and when state sovereignty can justifiably be violated and the effectiveness of humanitarian intervention.
Based on secondary data sources, including literature, reports, and documents, this research identifies key shortcomings of the intervention such as inadequate intelligence, monitoring and compliance issues, absence of a unified strategy, dependency on US capacity, and ambiguous post-intervention planning. These shortcomings have caused unintended consequences and prolonged instability in Libya and the broader region. By focussing on the effects of the different foreign policies, interests, and capabilities of the US, France, and UK, valuable insights are gained for improving future humanitarian missions and addressing the complexities of R2P implementation.
Description
Citation
Supervisor
Faculty
Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen