Tuesday, March 8, 2011

NATO prepares for possible military action against Gaddafi

The NATO Military Committee have asked the allies to begin military planning to prepare the "necessary" and "prudent" to deal with "any eventuality" in Libya, but the secretary general partner, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has made clear a possible involvement of the Alliance will require a Security Council mandate of the UN and by the time the Euro-Atlantic security organization has "no intention of intervening in Libya." "I can not imagine that the international community and United Nations stand idle if Mr Gaddafi and his regime continue to attack his people consistently," he assured however Rasmussen told a news conference.

"We have asked our military to carry out the planning needed to be prepared in case of any eventuality," he stressed, insisting that it is planning "necessary" and "prudent" to allow NATO to act "quickly "should receive" a request ". Although formally requested last Friday when NATO Military Committee, which brings together senior military allies, begin the necessary preparations to meet a request for NATO intervention, Rasmussen has made it clear yesterday that it will require a UN mandate , asked about whether it would be a unanimous agreement of the Twenty-eight without a UN mandate to intervene.

The Defence Minister, Carme Chacón, expressed support last week to ask the allies to control and surveillance planes from NATO AWACS "come soon against the Libyan air space" in order "to know what happens in the country" ships and "Operation Active Endeavour" Alliance "to move into the central Mediterranean area, with the objective" to monitor what is happening in their shores.

" For its part, the United States and United Kingdom are among the countries that defend enact a no-fly zone, although all partners are aware that the bill would require a UN mandate, diplomatic sources have explained. On the decree of an air exclusion zone, Rasmussen has admitted that it is a complex issue and "clearly a military operation, so that should be based on Security Council mandate of the UN" and has ensured that NATO now has not received "any request" for action, although it has taken "careful note" of the statements of the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Musa, in favor of declaring a no-fly zone.

"We indicated that we are ready to support a no-fly zone if Mr. Qaddafi continues to attack civilians in Libya," he explained. "I assume that any NATO operation would be conducted in accordance and compliance with a UN mandate", he explained, acknowledging that the current UN mandate to enforce an arms embargo on Libya "does not authorize military force , asked whether NATO will launch a naval blockade to ensure compliance with the arms embargo.

"It is of utmost importance to ensure close coordination between NATO, EU and other international organizations. I also believe it is of utmost importance to focus on full implementation of Security Council resolution, UN, including the arms embargo and provision of humanitarian assistance, "he explained.

"We have no indication that our assistance is needed at the moment," he insisted. Rasmussen, who has talked in recent days with the UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon, as well as the secretary general of the Arab League, Amer Mussa and the secretary general of the African Union Jean Ping, has recognized that NATO is aware of the existence of "sensitivities" in the Arab world anti-military intervention of "foreign forces" in Libya, but has insisted that if the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi "continues to systematically attacking the population, may constitute crimes against humanity.

" "This is a humanitarian crisis in our yard that concerns us all," stressed the secretary general partner, who has returned to condemn "strongly" the use of force against the civilian regime, has described as "scandalous" the Human rights violations committed against civilians and called on Tripoli to "meet the legitimate demands" of his people and accept "a peaceful transition to democracy." "It is not possible to suppress the will of the people, freedom will prevail," he insisted.

Rasmussen has advanced to the Defence Ministers discussed in Brussels next Thursday the situation in Libya and the Middle East region to discuss what NATO can do to help some countries in the region "during this period of transition to democracy" in the presence of the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, invited to the meeting on Libya.

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