Ron....It is a tangled web, and not as simple as you suppose.

Western nations, especially the UK, were up to their necks in supporting The Col in his battle agaianst Islamic extremists.....In return for this support they were granted some rights over Libyan Oil.    Rights to help in developement and rights to purchase.

Their support included security information on dissidents in the West and the supply of suspects for "rendition" and torture.

After the "Arab Spring" uprisings in Egypt etc, the British and French governments realised that they were about to be exposed and took the view that they would assist in the removal of Gadaffi in an attemped to ingratiate themselves with the new regime and retain the "rights" they so badly need.

Unfortunately this was rather shortsighted, as we now have the spectre of Islamism all over the area and in all probability these "rights" will be used by the Islamists as bargaining chips in the future.

Basically, we are fucked!