Libya: Nato in full command
2011-03-28 10:09
Sirte – Nato finally took full command of military operations in Libya from a US-led coalition on Sunday, enabling the alliance to strike at Gaddafi forces should they threaten civilians.
Sirte was pounded by coalition jets on Monday as rebels closed in on Muammar Gaddafi’s hometown in their westward push towards Tripoli.
Alliance officials cautioned, however, that the transfer of command would take 48 to 72 hours.
Pressed by Western powers, notably the United States and Italy, to take the helm as swiftly as possible, ambassadors from the 28-nation alliance approved the transfer after overcoming French and Turkish concerns.
"Our goal is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack from the Gaddafi regime," said Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"Nato will implement all aspects of the UN resolution. Nothing more, nothing less," he said.
The command transfer came as Tripoli also came under attack by what state television called "the colonial aggressor", hours ahead of US President Barack Obama's planned address on Monday in Washington to explain US involvement.
Witnesses in the capital said the strikes targeted the road to the airport 10km outside the city, as well as the Ain Zara neighbourhood on its eastern outskirts.
The rebels promised the uprising would not further hamper oil production in areas under their control, and the opposition plans to begin exporting oil "in less than a week", a rebel representative said.
"We are producing about 100 000 to 130 000 barrels a day, we can easily up that to about 300 000 a day," Ali Tarhoni, the rebel representative responsible for economy, finance and oil, told a news conference.