Defence Committee - Ninth Report
Operations in Libya

---

Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 25 January 2012.

Contents

Terms of Reference

Conclusions and recommendations

1 Introduction

Background

Timeline

Parliamentary approval

Our Inquiry

2 United Nations

UN Security Council Resolutions

Why Libya?

Legality of the action

War crimes

Regime change

Civilian casualties

Missing weapons

Weapons of mass destruction

Role of women

Entry and exit strategy

Implications for future UN actions

3 NATO

Initial command and control of the operation

NATO Command and Control

NATO cohesion

"NATO-plus"

Capabilities

Over-dependence on the US

4 UK contribution to the operation

Role of the National Security Council

Capabilities deployed

Air Capabilities

ISTAR capabilities

Maritime capabilities

Aircraft Carrier and Harrier Force

Munitions

Impact on other operations and standing tasks

Anglo-French co-operation

Cost of Operations

5 Implications for future operations

NATO Lessons Learned Exercise

UK Lessons Learned Exercise

Conclusion: a successful operation?

Formal Minutes

Witnesses

List of printed written evidence

List of additional written evidence

List of Reports from the Committee during the current Parliament

Oral and written evidence

Wednesday 27 April 2011: Rt Hon Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for Defence, Major General D A Capewell OBE, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations), and Mr Peter Watkins, Director of Operational Policy, Ministry of Defence

Wednesday 12 October 2011: Sir Mark Lyall Grant KCMG, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Christian Turner, Director, Middle East and North Africa, and Cathy Adams, Legal Counsellor, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Mariot Leslie CMG, UK Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council, and Air Marshal Sir Christopher Harper KBE, UK Military Representative to NATO and EU

Wednesday 26 October 2011: Nick Harvey MP, Minister for the Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB OBE ADC, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB ADC, Chief of the Air Staff, and Lieutenant-General Richard Barrons CBE, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations), Ministry of Defence

Written evidence

Additional written evidence (unprinted)

---

---

Prepared 8 February 2012