In February 2011, protests broke out in Benghazi, the second
largest city in Libya, against the more than 40-year rule of
Muammar Gaddafi. During the protests, security forces fired on
civilian protesters, causing a broader uprising that led to the
establishment of the National Transitional Council (NTC), an
interim governing body in opposition to Gaddafi’s regime. As
violence escalated and the regime began to issue statements
indicating a willingness to massacre civilians in order to crush
the rebellion, the United Nations Security Council adopted a
resolution that permitted international intervention in Libya.
NATO member countries quickly established a “no-fly zone” to
prevent Gaddafi’s military from bombing rebel-held cities; they
also continued to embargo arms shipments to Libya as per a
February United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution. Ill-
trained, ill-equipped, and lacking a unified command structure,
the opposition forces nevertheless seized Tripoli in late
August. On October 20, 2011, Gadd