Wednesday 30th March 2011

Foreign Secretary Statement to the House of Commons on Libya –

London Conference

Wednesday 30th March 2011

Mr Speaker, with permission I will make a statement on the outcome of the

London Conference on Libya and related events.

I informed the House last Thursday that planning was underway to transfer

coalition operations from US to NATO command and control. On Sunday

NATO allies decided to take on full responsibility for the implementation of all

military aspects of Security Council Resolution 1973 including the civilian

protection mission along with the no-fly zone and the arms embargo

operations which are now under NATO command. The transition to full NATO

command is underway. The North Atlantic Council will provide executive

political direction for the military operations and is meeting later today. I hope

the whole House will welcome the speed at which NATO has moved to put in

place the planning and launch of these three demanding operations, more

quickly than was the case for Bosnia or Kosovo.

There are currently 16 nations contributing assets to coalition operations,

including nations from the Middle East region. Over 340 planes from fourteen

nations have been involved, and vessels from 10 nations are supporting the

arms embargo.

Yesterday Sweden announced that it would contribute 8 fighter aircraft. The

UAE publicly announced their contribution of 12 air defence fighters on Friday

last week. The NATO Secretary General has issued a request for further

contributions which we hope other countries will consider seriously.

UK forces have undertaken over 160 aerial missions over Libya since

operations began, in addition to missile strikes. We are continuing to target

the military hardware that Qadhafi is using to kill his own people. Over the

weekend, in addition to patrolling the No Fly Zone, RAF aircraft destroyed a

number of main battle tanks and armoured vehicles near Misrata. The RAF

also took part in a successful coalition mission against an ammunition storage

facility store near Sebha early on Monday morning.

As evidence of the care we are taking to minimise the risk of civilian

casualties, yesterday I received a letter from the local council in Misrata,

thanking Britain and our allies for the targeted strikes and the enforcement of

the No Fly Zone which are alleviating pressure on the people of Misrata. The

letter stated that the local council can “testify for the effectiveness and the

accuracy of those strikes and confirm that there has been not a single case of

civilian injury let alone death in and around Misrata” as a result of coalition
activity. This is testament to the skill, experience and precision of our Armed

Forces and the whole House will join me in paying tribute to them. Our

country literally could not do without them for a single day and they are doing

a great job in support of the civilian population of Libya.

The situation on the ground remains fluid. Regime forces have intensified

their attacks, driving back opposition forces from ground they had taken in

recent days. Misrata also came under heavy attack yesterday, with further

loss of civilian life, including children, from mortars, sniper fire and attacks on

all sides from regime tanks and personnel carriers. DfID have been involved

in funding the successful provision of humanitarian assistance to the city and

we are urgently examining options for the provision of further assistance. One

obstacle to humanitarian support for the people of Misrata has been regime

vessels trying to blockade the port. These vessels were attacked by coalition

aircraft yesterday. Four of them were sunk and one vessel was beached.

To underline our grave concern at the regime’s behaviour, I can announce to

the House that we have today taken steps to expel five diplomats at the

Libyan Embassy in London, including the military attaché. The government

also judged that were these individuals to remain in Britain, they could pose a

threat to our security. We also remain strongly committed to supporting the

International Criminal Court in its investigations into crimes in Libya and

ensuring there is no impunity for barbaric acts against the Libyan people.

In my last Statement to the House I confirmed that I had invited the envoy of
the Interim Transitional National Council, Mahmoud Jabril, to visit London. He

did so yesterday for meetings with me and with the Prime Minister and to

launch the Council’s vision for a democratic Libya. I will place a copy of this

document in the Library of the House.

A British diplomatic mission also visited Benghazi on Monday and Tuesday

this week, headed by a senior British diplomat Christopher Prentice. The

purpose of the mission was to meet key Libyan opposition groups in eastern

Libya including the ITNC and its Military Council; to gain a greater insight into

political and security situation; to explain British government policies towards

Libya and to discuss future governance arrangements in Libya, including

identifying what Britain can do to help. The team met the President of the

ITNC Mustafa Al-Jalil, among others. They have now left Libya and further

missions will follow shortly.

Mr Speaker, yesterday delegations including over 30 Foreign Ministers, the

UN Secretary General and representatives of the Arab League, EU, NATO

and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference met in London.

Our government went into the conference with three objectives, all of which

were met.

First, to strengthen and broaden the international coalition committed to

implementing Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973. This was

achieved. Many more countries were involved in the conference and

supporting our objectives than at the time of the Paris Summit 11 days ago.
Second, we aimed to focus attention on the delivery of urgent humanitarian

assistance to alleviate suffering in Misrata and at Libya’s borders and to plan

for the needs of Libya after conflict. The conference agreed priorities for a

humanitarian response and welcomed an offer from the UN Secretary-

General to lead the coordination of humanitarian assistance and planning for

longer-term stabilisation support. Turkey, other key regional players and

international agencies offered to support this work and take it forward.

Contingency military planning also continues in the EU to enable support to

humanitarian operations, if so requested by the UN Office for the

Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as agreed at the European Council last

Friday. It is right that we start planning now to support Libyans over the long

term to build a peaceful and prosperous future.

Third, we argued that the conference must agree the need for a political

process, led by the Libyan people, which helps create the conditions in which

the people of Libya can choose their own future, supported by the

international community. Military action is not an end in itself. The

announcement of a political programme by the ITNC was an important first

step in this process. The Conference was also attended by the UN Secretary

General’s Special Representative for Libya Mr Al-Khatib, who travelled to

Libya last night.

The conference agreed that Qadhafi has lost all legitimacy, and to continue

efforts to isolate him and his regime by considering additional sanctions on

individuals and companies associated with the regime.

We agreed to establish a Libya Contact Group to take this work forward. The

Contact Group will provide leadership and overall political direction to the

international effort to support Libya; act as a forum for coordinating

international policy on Libya; and provide a focal point in the international

community for contact with the Libyan parties. Qatar has agreed to convene

the first meeting of the Group which we will co-chair. Thereafter, the

chairmanship will rotate between the countries of the region and beyond it.

Security Council Resolution 1973 laid out very clear conditions that the

Qadhafi regime must meet, including the establishment of an immediate

ceasefire, a halt to all attacks on civilians and full humanitarian access to

those in need. Participants of the conference agreed to continue their efforts

until all conditions are fulfilled. The Libyan regime will be judged by its actions

and not by its words.

Mr Speaker, the London conference showed that we are united in our aims -

seeking a Libya that does not pose a threat to its own citizens or to the region

and in working with the people of Libya as they choose their own way forward

to a peaceful and stable future. And it demonstrated that clear international

support for the people of Libya. With that support there is every prospect of

focussed and sustained assistance to the people of Libya as they seek to

determine their own future.

ENDS