In March 2011 it was reported that President Obama secretly authorized the CIA to help Libyan rebels to overthrow the government of Muammar Ghaddafi. President Obama authorized this support including the U.S. participation in NATO bombings citing humanitarian reasons namely to prevent the slaughter of civilians by Ghaddafi forces. However, in March 2011 and perhaps earlier, credible reports began surfacing that Libyan rebels began targeting Black Libyans and African immigrants in Libya under the guise of hunting for mercenaries. Many people knowledgeable of the situation say that the rebels, mostly Arabs, harbor racist attitudes that go back to the days of the Arab-African slave trade in Tripoli.

It has also been reported that a delegation sent to Libya by Amnesty International “witnessed a number of incidents in which the rebels detained or abused black hospital patients” in August 2011.

Whatever the reasoning, the United States, the United Nations and Nato member countries have done little to nothing to address the very real slaughter of Blacks at the hands of rebel forces. President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the U.S. UN representative Susan Rice have not once, to our knowledge, have said nothing publically about the crimes against humanity and extra-judicial killings being committed by rebel forces. Considering the public support and help given to the rebels by the Obama administration, makes the U.S. liable in part for these horrible crimes involving ethnic cleansings by remaining silent on this issue.

If indeed the U.S. and its NATO allies engaged in military action in Libya because of fear of innocent civilians being slaughtered, how is it that they can remain silent while Black Libyans and African immigrants trapped in the country are rounded up, abused and murdered.

Therefore, we call on the U.S. Congress to hold hearings this issue and we call on the Obama administration to address this humanitarian crisis and use its influence in the international community to bring those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity to justice.