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AP.
Q: Commander, good morning. It's Don Melvin with Associated Press. As you're aware there
continue to be questions about whether the mission has changed along the way, or whether
it continues to be narrowly defined in terms of protecting civilians. And your final sentence
was that the campaign will continue until they stop attacking... Qadhafi forces stop
attacking. Are there any circumstances that you can foresee under which Qadhafi could
stay and NATO would declare the mission over and it would go? If all the forces returned,
if this, if that? Are there any circumstances you can imagine under which Qadhafi would
stay and NATO would declare the mission finished?
Wing Commander Mike Bracken: Thank you, and that's a very good question. NATO is very
clear on the task that has been set to it by the United Nations Security Council. It
gave us two Resolutions which enabled us to carry out the mandate. That is, an embargo,
which we've already talked about, and a No-Fly Zone and to protect civilian lives. Whilst
we are seeing civilian lives being attacked and put at risk we continue to work within
that mandate.
The next part of the question really is a political question, and that is if we were
to move into any other area and decide what may or may not be decided as a cease-fire.
That's a political decision. Until that is made the Commander at the operational level
will continue this mission within the mandate that he's been given.
Oana, would you like to add anything to that?
Oana Lungescu: Indeed. The... as you know the three clear military goals have been set
by Foreign Ministers at the meeting in Berlin in April and they were a stop to all attacks
against civilians, a withdrawal of all Qadhafi military and paramilitary forces to their
bases and barracks and full unhindered humanitarian access. Those are the three clear military
goals. The mission will continue and we will ramp up the pressure until those goals are
met.
You have a follow-up question.
Q: If I could just quickly follow-up. The mission being to protect civilians, we have
a civil war, you have referred to anti-Qadhafi forces. If there is action between forces
on both sides involving no civilians, is that something that NATO takes... takes no action
about, there not being civilians involved. Can Qadhafi forces, in fact, if fired upon,
return fire?
Wing Commander Mike Bracken: As I've said, there are skirmishes across the country and
we watch and we monitor the situation on the ground. Our mandate is clear, though. We will
interdict forces that are inflicting casualties or making the... putting the civilian population
of Libya at risk.
Oana Lungescu: And you may have seen yesterday's mention of possible elections in Libya within
three months by Qadhafi's son. It's, once again, an instance of what I would call a
cynical PR ploy because it's hard to imagine that after 41 years in which Qadhafi abolished
elections, the constitutions, political parties, trade unions, overnight a dictator would turn
into a democrat.
So what we and the whole international community wants to see is action rather than words.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution mentions a cease-fire. There should be clear
moves towards an end to attacks. The immediate end of all attacks and threat of attacks against
civilians, a withdrawal of Qadhafi's forces to bases, and full and unimpeded humanitarian
access.
Reuters.
Q: Yes, David Brunnstrom from Reuters. I just wanted to ask a follow-up your comment about
the sustainability of the operation. You're saying it can be sustained as long as you
choose. Apart from what you've said about Sweden extending its mission, has there been
any other response to the appeal that the Secretary General for additional resources
to sustain the mission, and given all the other comments we've heard from General Abrial
and others, expressing concern about the long-term sustainability.
My understanding is that the French aircraft carrier can only remain in the theatre until
the autumn. If the conflict were to continue after the date when that aircraft carrier
needs to leave is there any contingency to replace it? And if not, how can you sustain
current level of operations if necessary?
Oana Lungescu: David, I'll leave allies and partners to announce their contributions themselves.
Those are national decisions that, as you've seen in the case of Sweden, often have to
be taken through national parliaments and that is right and proper and that's how it
should be.
But we are fully confident that we have the resources, we have the commitment it takes
to see this mission through and time is not on Qadhafi's side.
Mike, if you want to add anything to that.
Wing Commander Mike Bracken: No, I think the same really applies as I said on Tuesday and
on previous occasions. You know, the Commander will operate with the resources that is given
to him and any military prudent planner will look ahead, he'll decide while the resources
are available to him, and as we have seen in the past, some nations are able to contribute
more or a new asset to the campaign and the commander is grateful for when that happens.
There may be occasions when a nation feels that they need to take a resource out of the
operation for a period of time, perhaps to continue training or something of that effect,
and the commander will work within the resources he has. It's not going to affect his ultimate
aim and we will continue to prosecute that mandate until it's complete.
Moderator: We do have questions in Naples.
Q: I'd like to have a
comment on yours on the proposal made by the Home Minister Maroni yesterday according to
whom the embargo could be used, not only for the incoming ships, ships incoming into Libyan
ports, but also for the outgoing ones with refugees onboard.
According to Maroni, the embargo could be used in this case too and I'd like to have
a comment of yours on this, please.
Wing Commander Mike Bracken: Okay, the only thing I would say is the United Nations Resolution
of the embargo is clear. It discusses and states that the role is to stop weapons and
facilities and equipment that can be taken into Libya to deal with inflicting harm on
civilians. That is the role of the embargo. The sea is an open area and can be used by
shipping and it's an individual nation's responsibility and choice as to what shipping comes into
its waters.
Oana, have you anything to add?
Oana Lungescu: No, I think you've covered it there. If there are any other questions
from Naples we'd be very happy to hear them.
Moderator: One more question.
Q: Eva Callinger(ph) from the German news magazine Focus. You have showed up the video
from Zlinten, I think, of the Qadhafi's rockets from the "Moschee". Can you tell what you
can do there as NATO in Zlinten now?
Wing Commander Mike Bracken: In Zlinten or with regard to that particular incident?
Q: (Inaudible...).
Wing Commander Mike Bracken: To this incident. Well, we have information surveillance reconnaissance
capabilities to monitor situations of this type. And what we do tactically beyond watching
the event that happened in the mosque and where those resources were taken afterwards
is a tactical decision and we can watch across the whole of Libya with our various ISR platforms
and when they're in a safe situation so that we can indict or strike them away from civilians.
We can take all of our calculations, we will deal with them as and when that position is
known to us and we'll remove them from the battle space.
Thank you.
Moderator: Back to Brussels.
Oana Lungescu: We have one more question over there.
Q: I'm (inaudible) representing (inaudible) News Agency from Ukraine. It had been previously
report about mercenaries and some kinds of military advisors, probably even soldiers
or different sorts of fighters coming to Libya to fight on Qadhafi's side. In particular,
in some media countries, sources of such were supplying such people been mentioned like
Serbia, Belarus and so on. Also, in Israeli newspaper I quite recently read reports that
allegedly a foreign embassy in Tripoli deployed some equipment to protect Qadhafi forces from
air strikes, NATO air strike.
Could you somehow reflect or comment on such information and reports? Thank you.
Wing Commander Mike Bracken: Thank you. A complex question I think, because I've got
it in part because of the communications here. First of all, any nation or any people, individuals
or mercenaries who wish to side with pro-Qadhafi forces and inflict harm on the civilian population
will be dealt with by NATO in the best way it can by removing them from the battle space
so that they cannot carry out that task that they consider acceptable, along with the atrocities
that we've read about and heard about and the International Criminal Court has made
various statements on that.
If other nations were to put personnel on the ground that is a national call and it
would not be for the operational commander to judge what another nation would wish to
do.
Oana, do you have anything to add as well?
Oana Lungescu: No, I have not seen those reports that you're referring to. If there are any
other questions in Brussels or in Naples for a last round. I don't see any in Brussels.
Moderator: No questions from Naples.
Q: Many thanks indeed, and we'll see you next week. Thank you.