Some of the issues raised by the conflict in Libya are clear. Colonel Gadaffi's treatment of his own people is appalling, as is his use of overwhelming force against the protesters and rebels.

The people of Libya should not be left to face this alone, and there is a duty on the international community to act.

Other issues are much more difficult: above all, whether Britain, with its colonial past, its involvement in the Iraq war, its demand for oil, its continued sale of arms to the region and its selective approach to UN resolutions, can and should intervene.

This in part depends on whether our intervention would be counter-productive to the aim of avoiding bloodshed and providing Libyans with a better future.

There is a strong argument that Britain was right to back a ‘no fly zone' over Libya. We are a rich country with courageous and professional armed forces.

Preventing the Libyan air force from operating could help avoid civilian casualties from bombing and help reduce Gadaffi's overwhelming military advantage over the rebels.

That in turn could make a ceasefire easier to negotiate.

My concern, though, is that Resolution 1973 is dangerously open ended - and is unlikely to deliver the peace and freedom that the Libyan opposition are fighting for. Western nations are already interpreting it to justify an all-out assault on the Libyan armed forces.

This disproportionate response risks undermining the fragile Arab support for intervention and could make a ceasefire less, not more, likely.

We would all like to see the back of Gadaffi, but Western-imposed regime change is not the way to achieve it.

Moreover, the current approach is crowding out consideration of non military strategies.

In the recent debate on Libya, the Government asked the House for its support for "all necessary means" to enforce the UN Resolution, itself drafted without clarity about aims and means.

Further, backing the Government's motion implied support for the continuation of a failing wider Middle East policy.

Iraq showed us the danger of giving any government - Labour or Conservative - a blank cheque for military involvement.

The Government's involvement in the region is so incoherent in so many ways, such as its continued sales of weaponry, its support for other regimes shooting down unarmed protesters, and its failure to deal even handedly with human rights abuses in the region, that principled support for it is simply impossible.

For these reasons, I voted against the Government's motion and will continue to try to keep our involvement limited to a contribution that offers the greatest prospect for a lasting peace.

Caroline

Caroline Lucas MP  (Brighton Pavilion)

- Hear Caroline talking about Libya on BBC Radio 4's World At One programme (available until Tuesday 5 April).