If US killed Osama bin Laden, ask Libyans, why not assassinate Qaddafi?

Osama bin Laden was killed Sunday. Libyan refugees have been calling for the West to assassinate Col. Muammar Qaddafi, which they argue would save lives and end the civil war.

By Scott Peterson, Staff writer / May 2, 2011

A pro-regime militant holds a poster of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi as Libyans inspect damage to sheds full of missile, training and maintenance equipment made by overnight cruise missile strikes at the Libyan Navy's Abu Sitr base on March 22, in Tripoli, Libya.

Scott Peterson/Getty Images

Enlarge

Dehiba, Tunisia; and Nalut, Libya

Libyan refugees are calling on the West to assassinate their mercurial leader to save Libyan lives, just as the US has now succeeded in killing Osama bin Laden.

Related stories

NATO said as recently as Sunday that it does not target individuals and therefore killing Col. Muammar Qaddafi is not its mission.

Yet two airstrikes within 48 hours have come close to Colonel Qaddafi – the second overnight on Saturday reportedly killed one of Qaddafi’s least known sons, Saif al-Arab, while the Libyan leader was visiting his house, prompting charges from Tripoli that “leaked” intelligence was being used to kill the “Brother Leader.”

Libya's rebel government called for Qaddafi to meet the same end as Bin Laden, killed Sunday nearly a decade after masterminding the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "We are very happy and we are waiting for the next step. We want the Americans to do the same to Qaddafi," said rebel military spokesman Col. Ahmed Bani.

Libyan refugees in this small camp in southern Tunisia say such a result could not come soon enough. They argue that the death of Qaddafi would save lives by removing a despised regime, ending Libya’s civil war, and enabling completion of Libya’s pro-democracy revolution.

“America must do something to kill this man, because he is killing all the people of Libya,” says Souad, a Libyan housewife in conservative clothing, speaking before news broke of the Al Qaeda leader’s death at the hands of a US Navy Seal team in Pakistan.

Sign up for our daily World Editor's Picks newsletter. Our best stories, in your inbox.

“All the people here are tired of Qaddafi,” says Souad, standing among a group of like-minded women in this camp of 1,000 refugees run by the United Arab Emirates. “When will Qaddafi die? Why don’t the Americans kill him; you must kill him.”

“Kill, kill Qaddafi!” adds Samira, another Libyan woman with a large ring and a head covering.

“Libyans are afraid of him – why?” asks Souad. “Qaddafi wants to kill all Libyans.”

Interpreting UN Resolution 1973

UN Security Council Resolution 1973 authorizes “all necessary measures” to protect civilians. But what military operations that entails has been open to interpretation, with senior American, British, and French officials suggesting it could include going after Qaddafi, who sits at the top of Libya’s command and control structure.