NATO Ignores ‘Human Shields,’ Continues Libya Attacks

Growing NATO Attacks in West as Gadhafi Forces Move East

NATO officials again claimed that forces loyal to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi were using “human shields” by being in places near civilians when NATO warplanes were hoping to bomb them.

Previous claims were meant to explain away the lack of attacks in certain cities. Sunday, however, the allegation was different, as NATO insisted it ignored the dangers to civilians and attacked the Libyan military assets anyway.

We will not always be able to limit loss of life,” insisted NATO Gen. Charles Bouchard, adding that “regime forces should understand that if they continue to follow orders to attack their own people they will be targeted.”

So far there is no indication of how many civilian casualties were caused in Sunday’s bombings. The bombing, however, seems to be largely in the West of the nation, in Tripoli and Misrata. The fighting, meanwhile, seems to be centered mostly around the eastern city of Ajdabiyah.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.