Watching Libya June 27, 2011

The International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier today issued arrest warrants against Muammar Gheddafi, his son Sejf Gheddafi, and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi, for alleged crimes against the Libyan people. Based on the materials provided to the Pre-Trial Chamber by ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Court found reasonable grounds that between February 15 and February 28, 2011, Gheddafi not only conspired with the other two to perpetrate crimes against humanity against the people of Libya but took actions to cover-up the crimes.

Although Libya is not a signatory of the Rome Statute granting the ICC its jurisdiction, and Gheddafi does not recognize the ICC’s authority, the Chamber noted that "the official position of an individual, whether he or she is a national of a State party or of a State which is not party to the Statute, has no effect on the Court's jurisdiction."

“The Chamber, composed of Judges Sanji Mmasenono Monageng (Presiding), Sylvia Steiner and Cuno Tarfusser, considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the three suspects committed the alleged crimes and that their arrests appear necessary in order to ensure their appearances before the Court; to ensure that they do not continue to obstruct and endanger the Court’s investigations; and to prevent them from using their powers to continue the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court.” Go to the ICC's site for the decision and warrants of arrest here.

Meanwhile NATO led Operation ‘Unified Protector’ continues unabated. Since it started on March 31, 2011, and up to today June 27, NATO has conducted 12,745 air sorties.  Around 38 per cent of these sorties were defined as ‘strike sorties’. Strike sorties “are intended to identify and engage appropriate targets, but do not necessarily deploy munitions each time.”

138 sorties were carried out on June 26, with targets including three command and control nodes in Brega, 1 tank near Brega, 3 technical vehicles near Ras Lanuf, 2 pieces of artillery in the vicinity of Zintan, 1 antenna near Zuwara, 1 logistic node near Yafran, and two towed artillery pieces in the limits of Tripoli. Read more.

What in NATO terminology are referred to as ‘command and control nodes’ in Brega and surrounding areas are being closely watched by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets. Three days ago, NATO joint forces headquarters in Naples stated that the regime’s forces have occupied buildings in an abandoned area in Brega from where they “control their campaign to conduct attacks against the civilian population, threatening Ajdabiya and Benghazi”. Read more.