Libya Crisis

Thursday 1st December 2011 Written Statements

[The Prime Minister (Mr David Cameron)]

I am today publishing in full the National Security Adviser’s review of how the Whitehall machine operated during the Libya conflict and what lessons we can learn, in keeping with the commitment I made to the House on 5 September.

I told the House on 21 March that I believed that military intervention was necessary, legal and right to protect the people of Libya from the brutality of the Gaddafi regime, and I pay tribute to the courage and professionalism of our armed forces during this conflict. There remains much to do to secure a successful transition to a peaceful and prosperous democracy, and we will continue to assist the interim Libyan Government. But our armed forces, our diplomats and development experts who re-established the British presence in Benghazi and Tripoli, and all those in the UK who contributed to the success of the international effort, can be proud of the part they have already played.

The National Security Council proved its worth in ensuring effective co-ordination of this country’s contribution throughout the crisis in Libya. But it is always right to learn the lessons after any conflict. In addition to the areas where things went well, Sir Peter Ricketts’ review has also highlighted a number of lessons for future conflicts, including the importance of swift evacuation of UK nationals; integrating better economic analysis and policy more prominently at the early stages of conflict planning; and establishing a clearer cross-Government process for the negotiation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

Copies of the review of lessons learned from Libya have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The review is also available on the No. 10 website.