And now, what about the operations in Libya? (shift)
(BRUXELLES2) NATO ambassadors will tomorrow (Friday) discuss the future of Operation Unified Protector over Libya. On the table: do we continue, or not, the operation? And how to finish it?
Don't slow down too soon
The conquest of Sirte and the death of Gaddafi do not mean the immediate end of the mission, told me a soldier from an allied country taking part in the mission. " Don't expect us to leave tomorrow. We have to wait for the various hotbeds (of violence) to subside. “Everyone indeed fears” some troubles still lasting for a few days. The NATO mission will therefore not be formally terminated until the UN decides to do so. What seems certain is that the latest events allow a partial lifting of the device.
End of the NATO mission on October 31, force remains at liberty
(Shift - Fri 22:30 p.m.) Secretary General FA Rasmussen confirmed on Friday following the meeting with the Ambassadors that " the mission would end on October 31 ». “This decision will be formally adopted next week. ". This output will be made“in a careful and controlled manner. NATO wants to observe what is happening carefully and be able to react immediately if something goes wrong. » And to add: “Now is the time for the Libyan people to be proud and build the future of a new, free Libya, based on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Freedom is the strongest force in the world. »
Waiting for a new UN resolution
As for the future, everything will also depend on the meaning of the new resolution at the UN Security Council. There is no question for the moment of peacekeeping forces. And future missions will be more "civilian" as confirmed by Pieter de Crem, the Belgian Minister of Defence.
EU lends to border control assistance
The European Union should repeat, on Sunday, during its summit, its readiness to help Libya in the post-conflict situation. More concretely, the EU could make its contribution on a specific point: the "control" of borders and not the "management" of borders. The difference is not only terminological: in a first case, it is a question of helping the Libyans to control their borders (passages of men, illegal immigrants, weapons, terrorism...); in the second, it is a question of improving the functioning of customs (as the EU is doing in Ukraine or Moldova).
EUFOR Libya closed
As for the EUFOR Libya mission (humanitarian assistance), it should close without fanfare. The EU military has just recommended the closure of the operational headquarters (OHQ) set up in Rome, which has not been used for much except to plan a mission type "desert of the Tartars" and drink a few espressos ... COPS ambassadors approved this closure. But it is up to the EU Council of Ministers to formally endorse this decision. This should be done at a future council (not automatically the Ministers of Foreign Affairs), in point A (without discussion)
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