CIAO DATE: 03/2013
October 2012
The ‘February 17th Revolution’—as it is called in Libya—was preceded by smallscale protests throughout the country. Then, on 17 February 2011, mass demonstrations in Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city, ushered in the uprising that would attract international media attention. In response, the government of Col. Muammar Qaddafi began a brutal crackdown that was reminiscent of the bloody tactics of the 1980s (Kirkpatrick, 2011). Demonstrations quickly devolved into armed conflict in Benghazi, Misrata, and the Nafusa Mountains. On 17 March 2011, in view of escalating levels of violence, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1973, mandating member states and regional organizations to ‘take all necessary measures’ to protect civilians (UNSC, 2011, para. 4; UNDPI, 2011). France, the UK, and the United States immediately enforced a no-fly zone and began military strikes against Qaddafi’s ground forces, which were threatening Benghazi (McGreal, 2011). NATO assumed responsibility for operations on 31 March 2011 (NATO, 2011, p. 1). The fighting continued for eight months, ending on 20 October 2011, when Col. Qaddafi was captured and killed near his hometown of Sirte (Malone, 2011). His death brought an end to the armed struggle but not to the broader ‘revolution’, whose goal, as articulated by its young backers, was to establish a nation characterized by accountable leaders, economic development, and individual freedom (UNSC, 2012b).
Resource link: After the Fall: Libya's Evolving Armed Groups [PDF]