NATO’s erroneous Libya leaflet

NATO has just released some of the leaflets that its aircraft have been dropping on Gaddafi’s forces. They’re good! One shows a drone targeting an armored vehicle and warns: "You are no match for NATO’s superior weapons systems and airpower." It goes on, "Cease attacks on the Libyan people or you will be targeted for ...

By , a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

NATO has just released some of the leaflets that its aircraft have been dropping on Gaddafi's forces. They're good! One shows a drone targeting an armored vehicle and warns: "You are no match for NATO's superior weapons systems and airpower." It goes on, "Cease attacks on the Libyan people or you will be targeted for destruction."

NATO has just released some of the leaflets that its aircraft have been dropping on Gaddafi’s forces. They’re good! One shows a drone targeting an armored vehicle and warns: "You are no match for NATO’s superior weapons systems and airpower." It goes on, "Cease attacks on the Libyan people or you will be targeted for destruction."

A second leaflet warns Gaddafi’s soldiers that attacking civilians is illegal and may have consequences.  "Col. Gaddafi’s orders to attack civilians are illegal and as a result he has been indicted by the International Criminal Court." There’s just one problem:  Gaddafi hasn’t been indicted yet. The prosecutor has requested an indictment, which must be issued by a panel of judges. It’s more than a formality. The prosecutor has butted heads with the judges on numerous occasions. In fact, the judges refused to confirm a charge of genocide against Sudanese president Al-Bashir for several months, demanding more information from the prosecutor’s office.

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

Tag: NATO

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.