Nato ends military operations in Libya

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Anders Fogh Rasmussen rules out intervention in Syria as he hails 'successful chapter' in alliance's history

Richard Norton-Taylor | Monday October 31 2011 19.22 GMT

Nato has announced the end of its military operation against Libya after using a unique combination of military power that could set a model for future warfare. Speaking in Tripoli after 9,600 strike sorties over seven months in which more than 1,000 tanks, vehicles, guns, and Gaddafi's air defence and command and control network, were destroyed, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, secretary general of the world's most powerful military alliance, proclaimed the end of "a successful chapter in Nato's history". Nato countries knew from their own experience that "hard-won freedom brings high hopes and great expectations, and the hard work to make them real has begun", he added.

Rasmussen ruled out Nato military action in Syria. "Nato has no intention (to intervene) whatsoever. I can completely rule that out," he told reporters. "Having said that, I strongly condemn the crackdown on the civilian population in Syria. What has happened in Libya sends a clear signal. You cannot neglect the will of the people."

Lt Gen Charles Bouchard, Canadian commander of the Nato operation based in Naples, said that despite political disputes, Nato had "stayed the course". Yet though it was an operation conducted by Nato commanders, barely half of the alliance's members took part in the military operation. It was truly a "coalition of the willing" – while Britain and France flew a third of all missions, Germany and Poland played no part at all.

The US took a back seat as far as air strikes were concerned though Nato commanders say that they could not have succeeded without American intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance planes, and air-to-air refuelling aircraft. And in contributions which were as important politically as militarily, Qatar, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, took part in the Nato-run campaign.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/31/nato-ends-libya-rasmussen

[tabatha]

1. Jenan Moussa

jenanmoussa Jenan Moussa
Did you know people of #Misurata called #Nato planes "Hanan"? Meaning: "tenderness". "Here comes Miss tender," they tell one another. #libya
3 hours ago

jenanmoussa Jenan Moussa
I asked pple here in #Misurata about #Nato role in #libya."At one point we could only sleep when we heard sound of their planes," some said.
3 hours ago

http://twitter.com/#!/jenanmoussa

[Amonester]

2. THE US TOOK A BACK SEAT...

Thank you.

[agentS]

3. Excellent news!

NATO can take a break from this action, and finish up activities in AF-PAK.

Syria's Assad can rest slightly easy, BUT not for long....