Global General

NATO takes sole control of Libya air operations

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-31 15:49

BRUSSELS - NATO has formally taken over full command and control of military operations against Libya from the United States, a NATO official confirmed on Thursday.

NATO has assumed the leadership over all combat operations from 0600 GMT Thursday and the alliance has the assets in place to conduct its tasks, the unidentified official told Xinhua by telephone.

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The mission, code-named Unified Protector, including arms embargo, a no-fly zone and protecting civilians and civilian-populated areas, will be carried out in keeping with the United Nations Security Council's resolution, he said.

Canadian Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, commander of the NATO mission, will hold a press briefing this afternoon via video conference from the alliance's base in Naples, Italy, to give details concerning participating countries and their contributions, he added.

NATO members agreed on Sunday to take full charge of military operations in Libya, ending a week of squabbling over the command structure mainly involving France, Turkey, the United States and Britain.

NATO officials said that the Unified Protector, a three-month military plan, could be more or less, and it was up to the United States to decide when it should stop.

However, while the disputes over the command have settled down, the endgame in Libya remains elusive as participating countries are divided on the goal of the mission.