by Philippe Bolopion
Published in: Los Angeles Times
AUGUST 25, 2011
NATO’s military intervention in Libya was initiated under the principle of the “responsibility to protect,” a concept born from the ashes of the Rwandan genocide: that the world should not stand by while mass atrocities go on within a sovereign state.
Though morally self-evident, this concept was slow to gain acceptance in the international community, particularly among developing countries, many of which saw it as a ploy by Western powers to meddle in the internal affairs of weaker countries.
After much lobbying, the principle was finally enshrined by the 2005 World Summit and successfully used to resolve dangerous crises in Kenya and Guinea. But never, until Libya, had its most controversial aspect — the use of force as a last resort — been put to the test.
In the eyes of many countries, NATO has failed that test.
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