2nd November 2015

Dear Letters Editor,

You report (WMN 30 October 2015) that a 'disappointed Mr Cameron tells inquiry to speed up its publication of report.'  Some will be surprised that he is not being more cautious given his part in the bombing of Libya which country has since descended into chaos and violence.

The bombing took place under the fig leaf of Security Council Resolution 1973 Chapter VII UN Charter.

One of the eight key points of the resolution was " authorizes all necessary means to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas, except for a "foreign occupation force".  It is claimed that there were at least 50,000 civilian deaths, and particularly in Sirte.

This is the most important rule in the UN Charter - Principles and Purposes :-
"All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations...Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter."

With national commemoration of the fallen and the maimed soon upon us, we are duty bound to make that 'war to end wars' a reality.  But we do not.  Instead we sully their memory by continuous and mostly unlawful war with the vast majority of victims being civilian.

Only thirteen MPs voted against the bombing of Libya, just one being a Conservative member.  That was John Baron.  And he served in our forces and knew what bombs were about unlike Mr Cameron and many others.

When will the Libyan Chilcot set off?

'Do your best to heal and not to harm'.

David Halpin FRCS