From the beginning of protests in Libya's second city, Benghazi, the emerging international 'semi-order' has performed better than we might have anticipated. In the face of a civilian uprising and Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi's threats to crush it, the UN Security Council moved swiftly to adopt sanctions and refer Gadhafi and key allies to the International Criminal Court, invoking the 'responsibility to protect' concept in Resolution 1970. This, combined with the Arab League's call for imposition of a no-fly zone, created a sense of unity and resolve. Only the African Union dithered. Later, though, a 10-0-5 vot on Security Council Resolution 1973 to actually implement the responsibility to protect, through a no-fly zone and additional military action, showed underlying divisions. Some argued that abstentions rather than 'no' votes were a glass half full. Since the vote, sharp criticisms from Russia and India about of the West's use of force, in public and in the Security Council, have amplified the sense of division.
展开▼
