UN debates on military intervention in Libya

World Today

The U.N Security Council has been discussing the situation in Libya.The council is deciding whether to introduce further sanctions against the war-torn nation. As CCTV America’s Nick Harper reports, the issue at the heart of the ongoing debate is whether to have a military intervention.

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Three years after the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is still beset by protests, political unrest and a volatile security situation. That’s according to the new envoy for the U.N’s mission in Libya, Bernardino Leon, who visited the country last week. Now, before the U.N Security Council, Leon warned Libya was no closer to achieving its hopes and aspirations.

Leon also spoke of the thousands of civilians who have been displaced by the fighting – and U.N agencies’ race to deliver aid. The Council was also briefed on the work of sanctions committee who are increasingly finding that the lack of governance is leading to sanctions violations. With the apparent lawlessness, and contested parliament, there is a real concern from the U.N special envoy, that Libya will become a quote “magnet for extremist and terrorist groups”.

However, in many ways Libya has fallen off the Security Council’s agenda in recent months, as it’s battled to deal with emergencies in Ukraine, Gaza and Iraq. A stark contrast to 2011 when the country was front and the center of Security Council’s discussions on global security. Despite a clear current need in Libya, it seems this time round, the Security Council has its hands full with other matters.