Mediterranean migrant crisis: ‘If Europe thinks bombing boats will stop smuggling, it will not. We will defend ourselves,’ says Tripoli PM

The defeat of Muammar Gaddafi and his regime after four decades of often brutal rule could not have been achieved without Western air support largely orchestrated by David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy.

In the chaotic aftermath, Britain, France and the international community walked away. Now the European Union is proposing action once more. But this is not to help Libya, but protect the borders of Europe from African and Arab

migrants, using Libya as a battleground against heavily armed trafficking gangs if necessary.

That is the view of many in Libya and Prime Minister Khalifa al-Ghweil is convinced that this is exactly the wrong approach. “The answer  is not to carry out unauthorised attacks, bomb boats, but to take part in dialogue to talk to each other and solve this problem which concerns both us and Europe. Surely that is the logical thing to do.” Continue reading…