Nato agrees to extend Libya air war for another 90 days

June 1, 2011

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Nato has agreed to extend its Libyan air war by three months and dismissed

charges by Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime that the bombing campaign has already

killed 718 civilians.

2:34PM BST 01 Jun 2011

Hours after Nato-led aircraft launched new raids on Tripoli, ambassadors of the

military alliance meeting in Brussels decided to renew the mission for another

90 days to late September.

" This decision sends a clear message to the Gaddafi regime. We are determined to

continue our operation to protect the people of Libya, " said Anders Fogh

Rasmussen, the Nato secretary general.

" We will sustain our efforts to fulfil the United Nations mandate " to defend

civilians from Gaddafi's forces, he said in a statement, adding: " We will keep

up the pressure to see it through. "

Nato, whose current campaign expires on June 27, has intensified its air raids

in recent weeks with daily strikes on command and control bunkers in Tripoli to

prevent Gaddafi from crushing a revolt that began in mid-February.

Wednesday's decision would give individual nations time to prepare their

contributions for the next 90 days, a Nato diplomat said.

" There were very positive signs that nations will extend with the appropriate

number of resources, " the diplomat said.

The Libyan government said on Tuesday that the air war has so far cost the lives

of 718 civilians and wounded more than 4,000.

" Since March 19, and up to May 26, there have been 718 martyrs among civilians

and 4,067 wounded – 433 of them seriously, " government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim

said, citing health ministry numbers which cannot be independently verified,

Mr Ibrahim said these figures do not include Libyan military casualties, a toll

the defence ministry refuses to divulge.

Nato cast doubt on the Libyan claim.

" We have no indications that that is the case, " Nato deputy spokesman Carmen

Romero said, adding the alliance has no way to verify the claims because it does

not have troops on the ground.

" Nato is conducting its operations to implement the UN mandate to protect

civilians with great care and precision, " she said. " This is in clear contrast

with the indiscriminate attacks of the Kadhafi regime on his own people. "

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