New alliance to back Libya, replacing NATO

“After it became clear that NATO has a vision to withdraw at a certain point, Libya's friends from the West have proposed this idea...”

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Doha - Qatar's top general said on Wednesday that Western countries had proposed setting up a new alliance headed by Qatar to support Libya after NATO ends its mission in the North African country.

He was speaking after NATO postponed until later this week a meeting that had been expected to formalise a decision to end its Libya mission at the end of the month after Libyan officials called for it to be kept going longer.

“After it became clear that NATO has a vision to withdraw at a certain point, Libya's friends from the Western countries have proposed this idea of setting up a new alliance to continue supporting Libya,” Qatar's Chief of Staff, Major-General Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, said in remarks carried by Al Jazeera television.

“And they have asked that it be headed by Qatar because Qatar is a friend of theirs and a close friend of Libya,” he added without giving further details.

Attiyah also said that hundreds of Qatari troops were on the ground in Libya helping the fighters who overthrew Gaddafi.

In Paris, the French Foreign Ministry said a proposed extension of NATO's mission would be studied.

“We will take this request into consideration with our partners. France continues to support and help the National Transitional Council. We welcome the liberation of Libya and the fact that the operation, militarily speaking, is at its end,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Asked about a possible Qatari-led mission, the spokesman said: “We have taken note of this report but it is far too early to comment on it and we would not do so unilaterally.”

Qatar played a key role in securing an Arab League resolution calling for international protection for Libyan civilians at the start of the uprising in March that culminated in the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi.

It also sent warplanes to help the NATO-led operation enforcing the U.N. mandate to protect civilians,

Libya's interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Wednesday in the Qatari capital that NATO should remain involved in Libya until the end of the year to help prevent Gaddafi loyalists from fleeing the country and escaping justice.

NATO has said it does not intend to keep forces in the Libyan region after ending its mission and has repeatedly stated that its U.N. mandate is to protect civilians, not to pursue individuals - though Gaddafi himself was captured after his convoy was hit in a NATO air strike.

NATO ambassadors had been expected to meet on Wednesday to formalise a preliminary decision taken last week to end the mission on October 31. NATO spokeswoman Carmen Romero said this meeting had now been postponed. - Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/new-alliance-to-back-libya-replacing-nato-1.1165985

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