The Foreign Office is set to face questions over Libya's descent into a failed state, following the launch of an inquiry by the foreign affairs select committee into Britain's role in the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and the troubled aftermath.
Crispin Blunt, the Tory chairman of the committee, said the intervention and subsequent breakdown of the state had proved disastrous for Libya and posed a global security threat. He described it as 'a catastrophe for the people of Libya' and noted that Islamic State was beginning to establish control in areas of the country.
The inquiry will investigate Britain's capacity for post-intervention planning and whether the intervention went beyond the mandate of UN Security Council resolution 1973. Blunt highlighted that Moscow's anger over the interpretation of the resolution has complicated diplomacy on Syria and Ukraine.
Blunt, who voted for the no-fly zone in 2011 but later rebelled against intervention in Syria, said the committee would examine the quality of analysis underpinning the decision to intervene. He questioned whether the UK, as a permanent UN Security Council member, has the resources to be a global player.
Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, said the inquiry was timely, as Libya remains a potential failed state posing security risks to Europe. He noted that no MP would be happy with the outcome in Libya.
