Ex-Navy Chief Wants Blockade Of Libyan Coast

A former head of the Royal Navy has called for a
blockade of the Libyan coast to stop people smugglers
from trafficking people to Europe.
Lord West, ex-First Sealord and Chief of Naval Staff, said
such a measure would require 10 Navy frigates and
destroyers, along with helicopters, drones and other
intelligence and surveillance capability.
He told Sky News that the plan outlined by Prime Minister
David Cameron to send one warship to the area was "not
really the way to go about things".
"At long last, we seem to be realising that it's no good
having ships in the Mediterranean picking up refugees
before they drown because that actually is causing the
problem to be worse.
"I know from the people smugglers in southern Nigeria
that what they say to people is: 'Give us your $2,000,
we'll get you across the Sahara, put you on a boat, here
is a number, phone that on your mobile - that's the Italian
coastguard. You'll be picked up by a British ship and
taken to Europe'.
Video: 4,000 Migrants Rescued In One Day
"What I would do, rather than encouraging them to come
to sea and drown, would be to blockade the coast
properly."
Lord West said this "could have been done some months
ago" with the agreement of LIbyan government officials.
"We could have paid them lots of money to establish a
position under United Nations control with NGOs, where
we could immediately, in territorial seas, stop these
boats, sink them, maybe capture the odd people-
smuggler because you're nearer the root of it, and put the
people in camps, process them and those who deserve
to, come back and those who don't, stop."
His words came after Prime Minister Mr Cameron
confirmed the Royal Navy is preparing to deploy another
warship to the Mediterranean.
A training team will also be sent to Libya to help the
country's coastguard.
Video: Migrants Rescued Near Libya Coast
Already this week the UK has sent four military planners
to the Rome headquarters of the European Union's
Operation Sophia mission to tackle people-trafficking in
the central Mediterranean.
Mr Cameron said: "(Libya), because of the state that it is
in, is a danger to all of us - danger in terms of the
migration flows that are going through Libya, a danger
because of the people-smuggling gangs that are active in
Libya, and a danger because there are real signs that
Daesh is gaining a foothold in Libya.
"So clearly we have an interest in doing what we can to
support the new government, to help it to grow, to help it
have the ability to control that country."
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "I hope that the
Royal Naval vessels will see also one of their very
important duties as the saving of lives of desperate
people fleeing across the Mediterranean.
"I'm worried about mission creep into Libya of course."
Video: 2015: HMS Bulwark Rescues Migrants
The Italian coastguard says around 4,000 people have
been rescued from the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, with
some 20 bodies were spotted in the sea.
A Libyan navy spokesman said 766 migrants were also
rescued by the Libyan coastguard - 550 were found near
the coastal city of Sabratha and 216 off Zwara.
Around 150,000 migrants travelled from Libya to Italy by
boat last year and, so far this year, more than 37,000
people have been intercepted in the Mediterranean and
taken to Italian ports. Hundreds are believed to have died
after their overloaded vessels sank or capsized.