The death of a dictator

AN evil dictator has been overthrown in Libya and 42 years of tyranny has been brought to an end. It was NATO air power which ended the Gaddafi reign of terror but I sincerely doubt that anyone in the alliance approves of the way that the former dictator was ultimately killed. I have seen the TV images of an injured Gaddafi being dragged through the streets, covered in blood. I was shocked and this is one of the reasons I elected not to publish the photographs in today´s Bulletin. Gaddafi´s henchmen have carried out horrendous acts over the last four decades and I am sure that the pain and suffering was far worse than the treatment which Gaddafi received in his final moments. But this was the reason why NATO decided to end his brutal regime: because of the suffering and the horrendous acts carried out by his loyalists. Now, it is easy for me from the comfort of an office in Europe to criticise the rebels: I have not lived under the Gaddafi regime and I have not been affected by his rule of horror. But British jets and warships were involved in the conflict and the British government gave its full support to the rebels. The British government should be demanding answers; Gaddafi should have been arrested and put on trial. The rule of law should be maintained above all. The overthrow of Gaddafi was backed by a United Nations mandate but his death is now the subject of a UN investigation. For once I agree with the UN.