How ICC warrants could change NATO strikes in Libya
(Read article summary)NATO airstrikes today hit two government buildings in Tripoli, including the Interior Ministry.
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The potential that the International Criminal Court (ICC) could issue an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is unlikely to marginalize him at home. But such a warrant could give NATO more latitude to target the dictator directly.
So far, NATO airstrikes have focused on military targets – this morning they hit two government buildings in Tripoli, including the Interior Ministry. However, the head of Britain's military said on Sunday that NATO needed authorization to also strike infrastructure targets. There is speculation that the ICC warrants could justify NATO efforts to target Qaddafi, rather than simply to "protect Libyan civilians under threat of attack."
The ICC's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, announced yesterday that he is seeking warrants for the arrest of Mr. Qaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his intelligence chief for "crimes against humanity." According to the Associated Press, "the legal action has been seen in Libya as giving NATO more justification to go after him."
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