The Geopolitics of Post-Intervention Justice
CASE A: The current investigation into the killing of Khamis Gaddafi. According to The New Arab, Libyan authorities are investigating the death of Khamis Gaddafi, one of Muammar Gaddafi’s sons, whose remains were reportedly found after being missing for over a decade. The article highlights that 'very little has been revealed about the identity or motives of the assailants, and divergent
speculations have ensued among the public.' This investigation, twelve years after his reported death, suggests a sudden interest in accountability for politically significant figures, amidst a backdrop of ongoing stateless violence. CASE B: The 'humanitarian intervention' and its aftermath in Libya (2011). In 2011, a NATO-led military intervention, widely framed as a 'humanitarian' effort, led to
the overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi. The stated justification was to prevent a potential massacre in Benghazi, yet subsequent events, including the rise of slave markets and widespread militia rule, illustrate a different outcome. The intervention, backed by UN Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011), did not result in a robust, internationally-backed push for accountability for the
subsequent chaos, civilian deaths, or the proliferation of non-state armed groups. Instead, the focus swiftly shifted from international responsibility to internal Libyan governance failures. THE FRAMING: A tale of two accountabilities. When the intervention occurred, Western media and political leaders frequently used terms like 'responsibility to protect' and 'stopping a dictator' (e.g., Hillary