Much of the public debate in Europe about the war in Libya focuses on the persistent issue of western double-standards concerning humanitarian intervention. This debate revolves around three main criticisms of the ‘coalition of willing’: hypocritical changing attitudes towards Libya; approaches to human-rights violations driven by self-interest; and the evasion of colonial responsibilities. As a consequence, people question the moral authority of European leaders who declare a duty to ‘protect Libyan civilians from government killings’ by passing a UN Resolution denouncing Gaddafi’s actions as ‘crimes against humanity.’ The role of former colonialist countries reasserting their moral authority in this part of northern Africa appears ambiguous, at best.

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