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Ed Miliband has accused David Cameron and other world leaders of failing to stand by Libya after ousting Colonel Gaddafi from power in 2011, which he said had contributed in part to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. Setting out his foreign policy priorities, he said the UK had repeated the same mistakes in post-conflict planning for Libya as were made in Iraq and the chaos in the country could have been anticipated.

General Sir Richard Shirraf, pictured above, is the former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe. He told Today: 鈥淭he military authorities of NATO were concerned at the possibility of what might happen subsequently鈥�there was concern at the potential for the country to divide into two, there was concern over the militias taking over and general lawlessness breaking out鈥�.

General Shirraff added: 鈥渢he key point to make is when this was discussed with the interim Libyan government after the collapse of the Gaddafi regime the Libyan government of the day said we do not want any form of stabilisation force in Libya whether it鈥檚 Western or Arab or anybody鈥�the thinking was put together, the planning was conducted but it was not wanted on the ground by the Libyans鈥�.

John Jenkins is a former UK Special Representative to the Libyan National Transitional Council and former ambassador to Libya.
He told Today that what happened after Gaddafi fell was an issue that was: 鈥渢here from the beginning, everyone was conscious that if the regime eventually failed鈥�them some sort of reconstruction would be necessary.鈥�

Mr Jenkins added: 鈥渢he Libyans themselves set up their own planning process for stabilisation鈥�they were insistent from quite early on that whatever happened, when Gaddafi went and the country had to be reconstructed, had to be Libyan led鈥�.

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