2011 Military Intervention in Libya: Prevalence of Realist Principles or Humanitarian Norms?

Abstract

The world was surprised by the events of the ‘Arab Spring’ in early 2011. Theviolent reaction of the ruling regimes against the protestors, especially in thecase of Libya, caused political and moral dilemmas for the Western World. Inthis context, this thesis examines the importance and influence of humanitarianconsiderations in comparison to national/strategic interests in the internationalcommunity’s responses to humanitarian crises, and questions the motivesbehind the Libyan intervention. To this end, the thesis specifically focuses onthe positions of some key NATO members, namely that of France, the UK, theUS as well as Germany, regarding United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.