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UN Rights Office Urges Inquiry into Gaddafi Death
The United Nations human rights office called on Friday for a full investigation into the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and voiced concerns that he may have been executed.
The UN has raised concerns over the possibility that Gaddafi was executed Separate cellphone images showed a wounded and bloodied Gaddafi first alive and then later dead amidst a jostling crowd of anti-Gaddafi fighters after his capture in his hometown of Sirte on Thursday.
"There's a lot of uncertainty about what happened exactly. There seem to be four or five different versions of how he died," U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told Reuters Television in an interview.
"If you take these two videos together, they are rather disturbing because you see someone who has been captured alive and then you see the same person dead.
"We are not in a position to say what has happened at this point but we feel that it is very important that this is clarified, that there is some sort of serious investigation into what happened and what caused his death," he said.
Asked whether the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay was concerned Gaddafi may have been executed while in captivity, Colville replied:
"It has to be one possibility when you look at these two videos. So that's something that an investigation needs to look into," he said.
ARRESTED ALIVE, KILLED LATER
It is a fundamental principle of international law that people accused of serious crimes should be tried if possible, he said. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in June for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief for crimes against humanity.
"Summary executions are strictly illegal under any circumstances. It's different if someone is killed in combat. There was a civil war taking place in Libya. So if the person died as part of combat, that is a different issue and that is normally acceptable under the circumstances," Colville said.
"But if something else has happened, if someone is captured and then deliberately killed, then that is a very serious matter," he said.
Gaddafi was fatally wounded by a bullet in his intestines following his capture, according to a doctor who examined his body, amid conflicting accounts of how the fugitive former Libyan leader met his end at the end of an eight-month uprising against his 42-year rule.
"Gaddafi was arrested while he was alive but he was killed later. There was a bullet and that was the primary reason for his death, it penetrated his gut," doctor Ibrahim Tika told Al Arabiya television. "Then there was another bullet in the head that went in and out of his head."
Earlier, Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, reading what he said was a post-mortem report, said Gaddafi was hauled unresisting from a "sewage pipe", shot in the arm and put in a truck which was "caught in crossfire" as it ferried him to hospital.
Jerky footage showed a man with Gaddafi's distinctive long, curly hair, bloodied and staggering under blows from armed men, apparently NTC fighters.
An international commission of inquiry, launched by the U.N. Human Rights Council, is already investigating killings, torture and other crimes in Libya.
Colville said he expected that the team would look into the circumstances of Gaddafi's death and perhaps make recommendations about the need for a full national inquiry or an international investigation.
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85 Comments so far
Show AllHillary seems to have forgotten that she isn't supposed to admit to the existence of American Imperial rule.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20123348-503544.html
She's allowed to brag all she wants when "we" "win." That's when we get to throw out the rules and our own propaganda lies, because they're no longer necessary.
"Dead men tell no tales"
After months of bombing the people of Libya to get rid of a nut, which was none of our business in the first place, now our government has to make a decision about which sociopath, kleptocrat or Quisling to back. Must be friendly to US oil companies.
I suppose our actions would justify similar actions by another country whenever they feel our leaders are not treating the US people fairly. To free the millions in prison for example. Can we not see how wrong this method is?
It would appear like with bin Laden and the cleric it takes at least three tellings before the official version is decided upon.
I've noticed that too....
I agree with others who have called out the U.N. for the hypocrisy of calling for an investigation into Gaddifi’s death. Where was the call for an investigation when we all watched on television as a U.S. soldier shot an already wounded Iraqi to death while he was sitting on the floor unarmed? Where is the call for an investigation into the assassination of al-Alwaki? What about all of the drone strikes that the U.S. has rained down on Pakistan, killing civilians at a rate of 20 to 1 collateral damage just to get to one person? This is absolutely class bullsh*t. Obviously the U.N human rights counsel values the life of some above others. It’s becoming more and more apparent that the U.N. represents a large body of governments, most of which do not represent the interests of the governed.
Relax. This is just a whitewash tribunal for the Gaddafi killing. Feel better now?
Errol wrote: "To follow Bea's thought, it is curious that one can see a photo of the dead Gaddafi but yet none can be found of bin Laden after he was allegedly slain by our heroic Special Forces."
As many of you already know, Osama Bin Laden was killed/died long ago. Barack Obama is lying through his teeth when he says we killed him earlier this year. Obama is just trying to make it look like he did something memorable during his term, even if it is capturing and killing an already-dead guy. This is why there were no photos, videos, or a body.
The situation is much worse than anyone realizes. These people just put on a dog-and-pony show so they can kill more and more people and make more and more money. This includes engineering a "new Pearl Harbor" in the form on 9/11. The American government killed thousands of its own people, so they could start the Iraq war. And who among us doubts that Bush and Cheney et al are not capable of that?
The UN tried to kill Gaddafy and his family in Tripoli, supported the incapable "rebels", chased him across Libya, and now that he is dead they have concerns? WTF?
Trust me, they don't. All the UN is going to do is legitimize the action after the fact.
Had to kill Saddam. He knew too much. Couldn't risk public knowledge.
Had to kill bin Laden. He knew too much. Couldn't risk public knowledge.
Had to kill Gaddafi. He knew too much. Couldn't risk public knowledge.
Who is next? Someone who knows too much. Can't risk public knowledge.
"dkshaw"
At some point, the assassinating presidency will need to take out a "hit" on itself.
If Bush and Clinton have any brains, they will have to watch out because Obama may decide that they "know too much."
Also, meetings between Obama, Biden, and Clinton must have a certain un-easiness (even though they probably do see themselves as "partners").
Horrifying. Not much has changed since the barbarous days of severed heads on poles for public view. Now we just send around a photo for blood-thirsty trolls like chameleon to cheer and gloat over.
this is great. now libya is free. wonder how those people will feel under a u.s. rule? and for all you other leaders in oil-rich nations, make sure your life insurance premiums are current.
Remember when Mommar gave that two and a half hour speech about a year and a half ago at the UN, and all of the MSM took turns shooting it down calling it the "rantings of an insane madman" and "inchoerant" and 'difficult to follow", remember that? It's on youtube if you want to watch. Know what he was talking about in it? He was talking about how the UN had completely failed in every single aspect of its existence. He said bluntly that the UN Charter was specifically formed to prevent wars, stop aggression and promote unending peace and yet it failed, failed continuously and did the exact opposite. All those photos you see now of him shaking hands with Obama were taken from that event. Yes, truly the rantings of an "insane madman". Yep, how could he be more wrong?
Alan...
Excellent point.
Where were U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay and U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville, when Ossama bin Laden and, more recently even, Al Awlaki were summarily executed, and the latter with no less than at least two dozens other people, among whom two teenagers?
Apparently, according to the UN, there are human rights and international laws for Muammar Gaddafi, but not for Ossama bin Laden and Al Awlaki.
It is difficult to take people with such blatant double standards to be representative of anything approaching justice and human rights.
Unfortunately, the United Nations is ever increasingly showing itself to be an exercise in political, legal, and humanitarian cynicism.
Oikos -
Good observation.
Perhaps the basis for the double standard on UN human rights concern is the official status of the dead victim.
Kill a head of state and it can trigger a real war, such as WWI. Kill a humble or even a notorious private citizen, and the game goes on.
No harm, no foul, no need for further review on replay.
Bill from Saginaw
The United Nations human rights office called on Friday for a full investigation into the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and voiced concerns that he may have been executed.
---------------------------------------------
Unlike the thousands upon thousands routinely executed by U.S. drones without benefit of a trial? Where is the UN on that issue? Or is it a non-issue because the US does it.....??
A disgusting spectacle. The murderous machinery of Western imperialism moves on. Anyone who thinks Gaddafi got what he deserved, or takes that kind of sick attitude to it, is a damned fool. This was cold blooded murder, the apparent objective all along, and it had nothing to do with Gaddafi or anything he did or didn't do. He was just in the way of NATO's imperial agenda for a base in north Africa. Sickening. Another reason for a global revolution. Gaddafi, let us remember, was a socialist. Libya was one of only two nations in the world to have a NATIONAL bank. No more. The Libyans can now look forward to years of civil war.
These are the tactics the United States and NATO used to bring the Libyan people to their knees: Cutting off electricity, water, food and gasoline.
We should all be proud of President Obama, eh?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8728752/Libya-crisis-Rebel-leaders-hoping-to-starve-Gaddafi-stronghold-of-Sirte-into-submission.html
Do any of you fellows asking or expecting UN to do this that or the other, recognize the reality that the US and it's European Cabal run the UN. And by the way it extends to other so called international organizations, NGOs and Human Right groups. It a racket
Nothing happens at the UN without their imprimatur. The UN exists to serve them. They own the outfit. Cure yourselves of illusions and delusions.
Libya Truth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJURNC0e6Ek
"So if the person died as part of combat, that is a different issue and that is normally acceptable under the circumstances,"
not according to my understanding of normal.
after II WW norm were established in response to the german atrocities , the norms have expired after collapse of soviet union and display american characters of drone and clueless massive detentions for money
It seems many of us are becoming desensitized to being shown corpses on the internet and tv. Civilization and these corpse-parades are incompatible.
Desensitized is not what I get from pictures. The terror and brutality become real with the photos. I'm glad someone is willing and able to do it. The parade I see is the indoctrination and endless evasion of congruity.