If the Libyan war was about saving lives, it was a catastrophic failure | Seumas Milne | Comment is free

If the Libyan war was about saving lives, it was a catastrophic failure (The Guardian)
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/26/libya-war-saving-lives-catastrophic-failure

Seumas Milne: Nato claimed it would protect civilians in Libya, but delivered far more killing. It’s a warning to the Arab world and Africa Source: The Guardian

If the Libyan war was about saving lives, it was a catastrophic failure | Seumas Milne | Comment is free | The Guardian
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/26/libya-war-saving-lives-catastrophic-failure

What is now known, however, is that while the death toll in Libya when Nato intervened was perhaps around 1,000-2,000 (judging by UN estimates), eight months later it is probably more than ten times that figure. Estimates of the numbers of dead over the last eight months – as Nato leaders vetoed ceasefires and negotiations – range from 10,000 up to 50,000. The National Transitional Council puts the losses at 30,000 dead and 50,000 wounded.

Of those, uncounted thousands will be civilians, including those killed by Nato bombing and Nato-backed forces on the ground. These figures dwarf the death tolls in this year’s other most bloody Arab uprisings, in Syria and Yemen. Nato has not protected civilians in Libya – it has multiplied the number of their deaths, while losing not a single soldier of its own.