The 2011 Libyan Uprising, Foreign Military Intervention, and International Law

The article addresses some of the international law issues raised by the UN-authorized 2011 military intervention of NATO and its allies in Libya. It tackles, inter alia, the general position of international law towards internal civil strife and rebellion; the role of the UN Security Council in protecting civilian populations in internal armed conflict; the concept of "responsibility to protect" (R2P); as well as the scope of the mandate given by the UNSC in resolution 1973 (2011), which authorized NATO's military intervention