Russia demands Nato probe into 'civilian deaths' in Libya caused by bombing campaign

Request: Russia's United Nations ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he had been asking Nato to give 'a definitive report' to the UN Security Council

Πηγή: Mail online
By JILL REILLY

Dec 20 2011

• Moscow's UN Ambassador says no-fly zone was misused 
• Nato hailed seven-month operation as a triumph

Russia has urged Nato to investigate civilian deaths in Libya from its bombing campaign, saying their claim there were not any non-military casualties is untrue.

Russia's United Nations ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he had been asking Nato to give 'a definitive report' to the UN Security Council summing up its activities in Libya.

But he said 'unfortunately' the alliance only provided 'piecemeal, rather perfunctory reports... (that) were not very informative'.

Russia holds the council presidency this month and Mr Churkin said he would raise the issue of civilian casualties when it discussed Libya on Thursday.

Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the US Mission to the United Nations, said the Nato campaign was intended to protect Libyan civilians.

'The Nato mission in Libya was responsible for saving tens of thousands of innocent civilians from imminent slaughter by a madman,' he said.

Nato's seven-month air campaign against Libya was hailed as a triumph by the alliance for setting the country on the path to a democratic transition after the ousting and killing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

But the operation's critics - including Russia, China and the African Union - have argued that Nato misused the limited UN resolution imposing a no-fly zone and authorising the protection of civilians as a reason to promote regime change.

'Unfortunately, Nato adopted the pure propaganda style, claiming zero civilian casualties in Libya which was completely implausible first of all and secondly not true,' Mr Churkin said.


Success: Nato's Libya campaign was hailed as a triumph for assisting the country to oust Gaddafi

He said it was 'cruel and cynical' for people whose houses were destroyed and are now suffering from suspicion by their neighbours for Gaddafi support 'to be told that actually nothing of this kind happened.'

He said he was sure the United Nations could provide help in thoroughly investigating civilian casualties from Nato aerial bombing if the alliance "is reluctant to do it on their own.'

Mr Churkin also criticised UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon for supporting Nato's claim of zero casualties, but he praised him for also saying 'there must be no misunderstanding about civilian casualties in Libya.'

During Nato's campaign, which ended on October 31, its warplanes flew 26,000 armed attacks, including more than 9,600 strike missions, destroying more than 1,000 tanks, vehicles, and guns.

The victory in Libya represented a major boost for the Cold War alliance which is bogged down in a 10-year war in Afghanistan, a 12-year mission in Kosovo, and anti-piracy operation off the Somali coastline.