Post by Michael on Apr 14, 2011 7:48:09 GMT -5
oreign ministers from Nato countries are meeting in Berlin, amid differences among members over the air campaign to protect civilians in Libya.
The UK and France have been pushing for other countries to increase military pressure on Col Muammar Gaddafi.
Air strikes led by the US, France and Britain began last month. Nato has since taken leadership of the mission.
Several key member countries, including Spain and Italy, have not taken part in attacks on ground targets.
Tasks in Nato's Libya mission include policing the arms embargo with ships and enforcing the UN-backed no-fly zone.
The UK and France want more countries involved in the most aggressive role, that of attacking targets on the ground.
Only six out of Nato's 28 members - France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Denmark - are conducting air strikes.
But the alliance is much more than just a conductor of the military orchestra. It is above all a diplomatic body providing the political will, rationale and determination to conduct a given operation. And here Nato's members have been found wanting.
This was an unusual crisis from the outset, since it was really two countries - Britain and France - that made the running.
There are divisions within the alliance over the campaign, with Turkey and Germany opposed to the Libya mission.
Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez on Thursday said her country would continue to help police the no-fly zone and arms embargo, but reiterated that it would not send combat aircraft to Libya.
Although Italy is also refraining from carrying out air strikes, it allows missions to be flown from its territory.
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi, the rebels' stronghold in eastern Libya, says the Berlin meeting must be seen as a diplomatic counter-offensive by Britain and France to try to increase the tempo, in the face of members that are reluctant to do so.
The UK and France have been pushing for other countries to increase military pressure on Col Muammar Gaddafi.
Air strikes led by the US, France and Britain began last month. Nato has since taken leadership of the mission.
Several key member countries, including Spain and Italy, have not taken part in attacks on ground targets.
Tasks in Nato's Libya mission include policing the arms embargo with ships and enforcing the UN-backed no-fly zone.
The UK and France want more countries involved in the most aggressive role, that of attacking targets on the ground.
Only six out of Nato's 28 members - France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Denmark - are conducting air strikes.
But the alliance is much more than just a conductor of the military orchestra. It is above all a diplomatic body providing the political will, rationale and determination to conduct a given operation. And here Nato's members have been found wanting.
This was an unusual crisis from the outset, since it was really two countries - Britain and France - that made the running.
There are divisions within the alliance over the campaign, with Turkey and Germany opposed to the Libya mission.
Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez on Thursday said her country would continue to help police the no-fly zone and arms embargo, but reiterated that it would not send combat aircraft to Libya.
Although Italy is also refraining from carrying out air strikes, it allows missions to be flown from its territory.
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi, the rebels' stronghold in eastern Libya, says the Berlin meeting must be seen as a diplomatic counter-offensive by Britain and France to try to increase the tempo, in the face of members that are reluctant to do so.