No NATO troops in post-Gadhafi Libya
Source: Agencies |
June 9, 2011, Thursday
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NATO'S top official said yesterday the alliance won't put troops on the ground in Libya to keep order once the civil war ends and it will be up to the United Nations to help the north African country toward its future once Moammar Gadhafi's rule ends.
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke after meeting with defense ministers from the 28 members of the North Atlantic military alliance in Brussels, and after NATO war planes pounded the Libyan capital, Tripoli, with the heaviest bombardment of the campaign.
"For Gadhafi, it is no longer a question of if he goes but when he goes," he said. "It may take weeks, but it could happen tomorrow and when he goes the international community has to be ready."
But when Gadhafi goes, Rasmussen said, it would be up to the United Nations and not NATO to usher Libya peacefully toward democracy.
"We do not see a lead role for NATO in Libya once this crisis is over," he said. "We see the United Nations playing a lead role in the post-Gadhafi, post-conflict scenario."
Fogh Rasmussen appeared to make little progress in his push to have more NATO countries contribute to the military effort. Instead of announcing new military contributions, Fogh Rasmussen said that "NATO nations and partners stressed their continuing commitment to our operation, including by providing the necessary capabilities to continue and conclude the operation."
Alliance spokeswoman Carmen Romero, however, said the meeting was positive and a number of nations "indicated they would look into increasing their contribution." She declined to elaborate.
Britain, France and the United States are doing much of the heavy lifting in the campaign. British and French attack helicopters joined the campaign at the weekend in an escalation of NATO's military might in the skies over Libya while US planes are targeting Libyan radar installations and providing about 70 percent of the mid-air refueling.
The alliance said it would "welcome additional contributions to our common efforts."
One of the alliance's most powerful members, Germany, refuses to take part in the mission. "We will not change our position concerning the military action. We will not participate," said German Secretary of State Christian Schmidt yesterday.
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke after meeting with defense ministers from the 28 members of the North Atlantic military alliance in Brussels, and after NATO war planes pounded the Libyan capital, Tripoli, with the heaviest bombardment of the campaign.
"For Gadhafi, it is no longer a question of if he goes but when he goes," he said. "It may take weeks, but it could happen tomorrow and when he goes the international community has to be ready."
But when Gadhafi goes, Rasmussen said, it would be up to the United Nations and not NATO to usher Libya peacefully toward democracy.
"We do not see a lead role for NATO in Libya once this crisis is over," he said. "We see the United Nations playing a lead role in the post-Gadhafi, post-conflict scenario."
Fogh Rasmussen appeared to make little progress in his push to have more NATO countries contribute to the military effort. Instead of announcing new military contributions, Fogh Rasmussen said that "NATO nations and partners stressed their continuing commitment to our operation, including by providing the necessary capabilities to continue and conclude the operation."
Alliance spokeswoman Carmen Romero, however, said the meeting was positive and a number of nations "indicated they would look into increasing their contribution." She declined to elaborate.
Britain, France and the United States are doing much of the heavy lifting in the campaign. British and French attack helicopters joined the campaign at the weekend in an escalation of NATO's military might in the skies over Libya while US planes are targeting Libyan radar installations and providing about 70 percent of the mid-air refueling.
The alliance said it would "welcome additional contributions to our common efforts."
One of the alliance's most powerful members, Germany, refuses to take part in the mission. "We will not change our position concerning the military action. We will not participate," said German Secretary of State Christian Schmidt yesterday.
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