U.S., allies agree on key NATO role in Libya campaign

[jefferson_dem]

Source: Reuters

Allies have stopped short of explicitly endorsing NATO political leadership of the mission, which they fear could be a hard sell for NATO member Turkey and undercut shaky Arab support.

United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday won British and French support for a NATO role in the air campaign against Libya's leader Muammar Gadhafi as the western allies thrashed out operational details aimed at transferring U.S. control of the mission.

Obama, lobbying hard to hand off U.S. command of Libya operations to allies within days, telephoned British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy and all agreed that the NATO alliance would play an important role, the White House said.

But the allies have stopped short of explicitly endorsing NATO political leadership of the mission, which they fear could be a hard sell for NATO member Turkey and undercut shaky Arab support for the effort to bolster anti-Gadhafi rebels.

"What we are saying right now is that NATO will have a key role to play here," Ben Rhodes, a senior White House national security aide, told reporters aboard Air Force One.



Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/u-s-allies-agree-on-key-nato-role-in-libya-campaign-1.351190

[ClarkUSA]

1. I admire President Obama's deft diplomatic touch with our allies, new and old.

Of course, France and Britain deserve kudos as well. Turkey is doing the right thing, considering how they've been snubbed (in their view) by certain NATO nations re: membership and Qatar is truly displaying leadership in sending warplanes to join in the no-fly zone effort, thanks to France's encouragement.