The Cauldron: NATO’s Campaign in Libya

In March 2011, NATO launched a mission hitherto completely unthinkable: to guard civilians towards Libya’s ferocious regime, solely from the air. NATO had by no means operated in North Africa, or with out troops on the bottom; it additionally had by no means needed to transfer as rapidly because it did that spring. It took seven months, 25,000 air sorties, 7,000 fight strike missions, 3,100 maritime hailings and practically 400 boardings for Tripoli to fall. This guide tells for the primary time the entire story of this worldwide drama, spanning the hallways of the United Nations in New York, NATO Headquarters in Brussels and, crucially, the 2 operational epicentres: the Libyan battlefield, and Joint Force Command Naples, which was in cost of the mission. Weighill and Gaub provide a complete exploration of each the warfare’s development and the various challenges NATO confronted, from its extraordinarily speedy planning and restricted understanding of Libya and its forces, to coaching shortfalls and the absence of post-conflict planning. Theirs is a long-awaited account of the Libyan warfare: one that actually considers all of the actors concerned.