NATO Extends Libya Air, Sea Operation by 3 Months

British Prime Minister David Cameron (C-L) and French President Nicholas Sarkozy (C) meet the locals in Benghazi, Libya, 15 September 2011. EPA/BGNES

NATO member states have decided to extend by three months the Alliance's Operation United Protector, i.e. air-and-sea campaign in Libya as the Libyan rebels are still fighting the surviving loyalist of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The agreement to extend the United Nations-mandated mission, which NATO took over from the USA on March 31, came at a meeting of ambassadors of the 28 NATO states in Brussels, international media reported.

The current mandate of Operation United Protector was due to expire on Sept. 27; the new decision has brought the second 90-day extension to the mission to protect civilians that has involved a campaign of air strikes and a naval mission to enforce a UN arms embargo against ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi's government.

"We are all pretty clear we are in the final stages of the old regime's ability to threaten civilians. But for some time now everyone has been united behind the idea that we need to keep the mission going as long as civilians are under threat and we still see civilians are under threat from actions on the ground," NATO diplomats have been quoted as saying.

Eight of the 28 NATO nations have taken part in air strikes since the mission began and have flown 23 350 sorties, including 8 751 strike sorties against targets.

Fourteen ships under NATO command are patrolling the central Mediterranean Sea to enforce a UN arms embargo. Bulgaria took part in the naval part of Operation United Protector with one frigate for a month in May 2011.

NATO has not suffered any casualties in United Protector to date.

On March 19, 2011, NATO-led international forces started air and rocket strikes against the Gaddafi regime under a UN Security Council mandate.

Operation Odyssey Dawn was the US code name for the US part of the international military operation in Libya to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 during the initial period of 19–31 March 2011, which continued afterwards under NATO command as Operation Unified Protector.

The initial operation implemented a no-fly zone that was proposed during the 2011 Libyan civil war to prevent government forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi from carrying out air attacks on anti-Gaddafi forces.

The US initially had strategic command of the military intervention but passed complete military command of the operation to NATO - under Operation United Protector - and took up a support role on 31 March 2011

A new UN Security Council resolution on Libya last week left the arms embargo in place, but allowed Libya's interim government and the United Nations to import light weapons to maintain security.

It did not call for an end to the no-fly zone NATO has been enforcing, but diplomats say Libyan civil airliners will be allowed to fly provided they notify monitors of flight plans.

The resolution also establishes a UN mission in Libya to help the government of the Transitional National Council with a post-conflict transition, expected to number several hundred. Their tasks are expected to include police training and electoral assistance, U.N. officials say.

But the resolution does not call for deployment of peacekeepers or police as part of the new U.N. Support Mission. 

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