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| Blair questioned by MPs over Libya policy | |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Tony Blair is being questioned by MPs about his dealings with Libya during his decade in power and the country's troubled history since then. | |
| While in office, the ex-prime minister supported the West's rapprochement with the regime of Colonel Gaddafi and even visited him in Libya in 2007. | While in office, the ex-prime minister supported the West's rapprochement with the regime of Colonel Gaddafi and even visited him in Libya in 2007. |
| Gaddafi was killed in 2011 after he violently quelled a popular uprising. | Gaddafi was killed in 2011 after he violently quelled a popular uprising. |
| The UK was among foreign countries to intervene at the time but Libya has been wracked by conflict ever since. | The UK was among foreign countries to intervene at the time but Libya has been wracked by conflict ever since. |
| MPs are examining the UK's role in the military intervention in Libya and what lessons can be learn from it. The hearing will also consider the UK's future policy options. | |
| The UK, US and France launched airstrikes against the Gaddafi regime in 2011. They acted under the auspices of a United Nations mandate to protect Libyan civilians who opposed the regime from the risk of a potential massacre in Benghazi. | The UK, US and France launched airstrikes against the Gaddafi regime in 2011. They acted under the auspices of a United Nations mandate to protect Libyan civilians who opposed the regime from the risk of a potential massacre in Benghazi. |
| Although Parliament backed the UK's action at the time, MPs are more critical of the intervention now, saying little thought was given to post-conflict planning, to reconciling warring factions and building inclusive institutions after the collapse of the Gaddafi regime. | Although Parliament backed the UK's action at the time, MPs are more critical of the intervention now, saying little thought was given to post-conflict planning, to reconciling warring factions and building inclusive institutions after the collapse of the Gaddafi regime. |
| Instability | Instability |
| Libya has been beset by instability and violence since 2011. | Libya has been beset by instability and violence since 2011. |
| Since 2014 the country has had two rival parliaments - an Islamist-backed one in Tripoli and an internationally recognised government in the east of the country - amid UN attempts to broker a single government of national unity. | Since 2014 the country has had two rival parliaments - an Islamist-backed one in Tripoli and an internationally recognised government in the east of the country - amid UN attempts to broker a single government of national unity. |
| Mr Blair, who was prime minister between 1997 and 2007, was the central figure in the UK's decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003 and has appeared twice before the official Chilcot inquiry into the invasion - whose report has yet to be published. | Mr Blair, who was prime minister between 1997 and 2007, was the central figure in the UK's decision to go to war in Iraq in 2003 and has appeared twice before the official Chilcot inquiry into the invasion - whose report has yet to be published. |
| Critics of this, and subsequent interventions in Libya and now Syria, have warned that they have fuelled the rise of violent Islamist groups such as Islamic State but Mr Blair has remained a strong advocate of an activist approach. | Critics of this, and subsequent interventions in Libya and now Syria, have warned that they have fuelled the rise of violent Islamist groups such as Islamic State but Mr Blair has remained a strong advocate of an activist approach. |
| During his time in power, Mr Blair backed a thawing in relations with the Gaddafi regime as part of efforts to bring the country, which had been accused of sponsoring terrorism - including the 1988 Lockerbie bombing - back in to the international fold. | During his time in power, Mr Blair backed a thawing in relations with the Gaddafi regime as part of efforts to bring the country, which had been accused of sponsoring terrorism - including the 1988 Lockerbie bombing - back in to the international fold. |
| Arab Spring | Arab Spring |
| Libya renounced its nuclear weapons programme as part of an international agreement but the West's more accommodating relationship with the regime, which led to a number of commercial deals, came in for criticism after Gaddafi violently repressed a uprising during the so-called Arab Spring. | Libya renounced its nuclear weapons programme as part of an international agreement but the West's more accommodating relationship with the regime, which led to a number of commercial deals, came in for criticism after Gaddafi violently repressed a uprising during the so-called Arab Spring. |
| His crackdown and the subsequent conflict resulted in the death of thousands of people. | His crackdown and the subsequent conflict resulted in the death of thousands of people. |
| Since leaving office, Mr Blair has remained an influential, if controversial, figure in the Middle East. He served as a Middle East peace envoy to the Quartet - the UN, EU, US and Russia - for eight years before stepping down earlier this year. | Since leaving office, Mr Blair has remained an influential, if controversial, figure in the Middle East. He served as a Middle East peace envoy to the Quartet - the UN, EU, US and Russia - for eight years before stepping down earlier this year. |
| Conservative ministers have defended the Libya intervention, former foreign secretary William Hague recently telling MPs that he would back similar action again while acknowledging that Libya had not turned out out as the government had hoped. | Conservative ministers have defended the Libya intervention, former foreign secretary William Hague recently telling MPs that he would back similar action again while acknowledging that Libya had not turned out out as the government had hoped. |
| Ministers have pointed to closer co-operation with the Libyan authorities on matters of mutual interest in recent years. | Ministers have pointed to closer co-operation with the Libyan authorities on matters of mutual interest in recent years. |
| Earlier this year, a Libyan man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder PC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984. | Earlier this year, a Libyan man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder PC Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan embassy in London in 1984. |