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25/10/2011
Concern Over Unguarded Munition Dumps In Libya
Vast amounts of unsecured explosive weapons, including surface-to-air missiles, remain unguarded in the area around Sirte, Libya, a humanitarian group has said on Tuesday.
Human Rights Watch said the National Transitional Council (NTC), Libya’s transitional government, had promised for months that it would secure weapons facilities, but still a number of unguarded munitions dumps were unguarded and accessible to anyone.
Two unguarded sites near Sirte inspected by Human Rights Watch on October 22 contained surface-to-air missiles, tank and mortar rounds, large numbers of munitions, and thousands of guided and unguided aerial weapons.
“For months we have been warning the NTC and NATO about the dangers posed by these vast stockpiles of unguarded weapons, and the urgent need to secure them,” said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch.
“Surface-to-air missiles can take down civilian aircraft, and the explosive weapons can be converted easily into the car bombs and IEDs that have killed thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
The US government has a team of experts on the ground in Libya helping the NTC locate missing surface-to-air missiles. Fourteen contractors are in Libya and 50 more are being sent, Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro told the media on October 14.
Meanwhile, David Cameron on Monday again spoke about how Britain "can be proud of the role we played" during the Libyan conflict.
Mr Cameron said that he Government's aim throughout had been to fulfil the terms of the UN Security Council resolution, to protect civilians, and to give the Libyan people "the chance to determine their own political future".
"With the death of [Gadaffi], they now have that chance."
Mr Cameron said that over 3000 missions and 2000 strike sorties were undertaken by British forces and that one fifth of the total strike sorties missions were flown by Nato.
"We took great care to ensure that targeting decisions minimised the number of civilian casualties," the Prime Minister added.
(DW)
Human Rights Watch said the National Transitional Council (NTC), Libya’s transitional government, had promised for months that it would secure weapons facilities, but still a number of unguarded munitions dumps were unguarded and accessible to anyone.
Two unguarded sites near Sirte inspected by Human Rights Watch on October 22 contained surface-to-air missiles, tank and mortar rounds, large numbers of munitions, and thousands of guided and unguided aerial weapons.
“For months we have been warning the NTC and NATO about the dangers posed by these vast stockpiles of unguarded weapons, and the urgent need to secure them,” said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch.
“Surface-to-air missiles can take down civilian aircraft, and the explosive weapons can be converted easily into the car bombs and IEDs that have killed thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
The US government has a team of experts on the ground in Libya helping the NTC locate missing surface-to-air missiles. Fourteen contractors are in Libya and 50 more are being sent, Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro told the media on October 14.
Meanwhile, David Cameron on Monday again spoke about how Britain "can be proud of the role we played" during the Libyan conflict.
Mr Cameron said that he Government's aim throughout had been to fulfil the terms of the UN Security Council resolution, to protect civilians, and to give the Libyan people "the chance to determine their own political future".
"With the death of [Gadaffi], they now have that chance."
Mr Cameron said that over 3000 missions and 2000 strike sorties were undertaken by British forces and that one fifth of the total strike sorties missions were flown by Nato.
"We took great care to ensure that targeting decisions minimised the number of civilian casualties," the Prime Minister added.
(DW)
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