March 25 -- NATO agreed to take command of the Libya no-fly zone, stopping short of assuming responsibility for airstrike missions against Libyan ground forces that sparked discord within the 28-nation alliance.
The limited agreement among members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization may delay a U.S. handoff of responsibility for strikes on Muammar Qaddafi’s fighters. The anti-Qaddafi coalition will continue to handle actions which don’t involve the no-fly zone, said NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Foreign ministers from coalition nations plan to meet March 29 in London to discuss Libya issues.
U.S. Navy Adm. Bill Gortney said yesterday the coalition flew 130 sorties in a 24-hour period, of which 49 were sent to hit designated ground targets. The allies are striking Libyan government forces that continue to attack civilians in coastal cities Misrata, Ajdabiya and Zentan and launched 14 more Tomahawk cruise missiles against Libyan air-defense and SCUD missile sites.
French officials, who pushed hardest for military action, predicted a quick end to the conflict. French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said in Paris that the coalition has intercepted conversations among Libyan officers indicating that many are ready to abandon the regime.
Oil Prices
“The military action will be counted in days and in weeks, not in months,” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said at a Paris press conference.
Oil prices have jumped about 25 percent since the Libyan rebellion began last month, heightening concerns about Middle East crude supplies. The revolt has evolved from the kind popular uprising seen in Egypt and Tunisia into a civil war. Elsewhere, Syria announced a steps in response to protests, including a possible end to 48-year emergency rule that suspended most rights. In Yemen, the political opposition to President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced plans for nationwide protests against the state-of-emergency law just passed by Saleh’s loyalists.
Crude oil slipped from the highest level since September, with crude for May delivery falling 15 cents to settle at $105.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures jumped to a record of $1,448.60 an ounce.
Cease-Fire Talks
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, after reporting to the Security Council on Libya developments, said in New York he expects Libyan government and opposition representatives to hold cease-fire talks today under African Union auspices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Rasmussen said NATO’s role will be limited for now to the no-fly zone. Earlier in the week, NATO said it would take charge of enforcing the UN arms embargo on Libya. NATO will take over command of the no-fly-zone operations in one or two days, according to an administration official authorized to brief reporters on the condition his name not be used.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a four-way conference call with foreign ministers from the U.K., France and Turkey, according to Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman. She later said that NATO would further consider plans to assume command of the ground-strike missions.
“We have not decided yet whether we will take on a broader responsibility,” Rasmussen said
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http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-24/nato-to-run-no-fly-zone-while-u-s-led-force-hits-qaddafi-troops.html
The limited agreement among members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization may delay a U.S. handoff of responsibility for strikes on Muammar Qaddafi’s fighters. The anti-Qaddafi coalition will continue to handle actions which don’t involve the no-fly zone, said NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Foreign ministers from coalition nations plan to meet March 29 in London to discuss Libya issues.
U.S. Navy Adm. Bill Gortney said yesterday the coalition flew 130 sorties in a 24-hour period, of which 49 were sent to hit designated ground targets. The allies are striking Libyan government forces that continue to attack civilians in coastal cities Misrata, Ajdabiya and Zentan and launched 14 more Tomahawk cruise missiles against Libyan air-defense and SCUD missile sites.
French officials, who pushed hardest for military action, predicted a quick end to the conflict. French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said in Paris that the coalition has intercepted conversations among Libyan officers indicating that many are ready to abandon the regime.
Oil Prices
“The military action will be counted in days and in weeks, not in months,” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said at a Paris press conference.
Oil prices have jumped about 25 percent since the Libyan rebellion began last month, heightening concerns about Middle East crude supplies. The revolt has evolved from the kind popular uprising seen in Egypt and Tunisia into a civil war. Elsewhere, Syria announced a steps in response to protests, including a possible end to 48-year emergency rule that suspended most rights. In Yemen, the political opposition to President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced plans for nationwide protests against the state-of-emergency law just passed by Saleh’s loyalists.
Crude oil slipped from the highest level since September, with crude for May delivery falling 15 cents to settle at $105.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures jumped to a record of $1,448.60 an ounce.
Cease-Fire Talks
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, after reporting to the Security Council on Libya developments, said in New York he expects Libyan government and opposition representatives to hold cease-fire talks today under African Union auspices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Rasmussen said NATO’s role will be limited for now to the no-fly zone. Earlier in the week, NATO said it would take charge of enforcing the UN arms embargo on Libya. NATO will take over command of the no-fly-zone operations in one or two days, according to an administration official authorized to brief reporters on the condition his name not be used.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held a four-way conference call with foreign ministers from the U.K., France and Turkey, according to Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman. She later said that NATO would further consider plans to assume command of the ground-strike missions.
“We have not decided yet whether we will take on a broader responsibility,” Rasmussen said
Read More
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-03-24/nato-to-run-no-fly-zone-while-u-s-led-force-hits-qaddafi-troops.html
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