Leaders to discuss Libya strategy - Belfast Telegraph

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Britain and France will display a united front in their offensive against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime when EU leaders meet in Brussels.

But their latest summit comes after three fraught days of talks at Nato headquarters which have failed to resolve deep rifts over operational and political strategy for running the no-fly zone.

Late on Wednesday night Nato ambassadors gave up a third attempt to agree on who should lead on-going military operations.

With Washington insisting the US will step back from its leading role within days, pressure is on to set up a comprehensive European-driven command and control structure.

But the two key allies in spearheading attacks on Libya - the UK and France - are divided on Nato's responsibilities.

Prime Minister David Cameron is content for Nato to take the lead, but French president Nicolas Sarkozy, backed by Turkey and Germany, wants the Alliance kept in a support role, with strategic decisions taken only by the governments in the military coalition.

Mr Cameron and Mr Sarkozy will deliver a Libyan update over dinner at the summit, insisting that the EU should keep up and extend its humanitarian role in the region, leaving the military operation to be conducted at Nato and coalition level.

Mr Sarkozy insists Nato primacy would send the wrong signal to Arab League nations which have joined the offensive. Instead he wants the lead taken by a temporary "steering group" made up of the foreign ministers of all countries involved in the military action.

In a sign of compromise, and with Nato still bogged down in the detail of sharing responsibilities, Foreign Secretary William Hague is due to hold a meeting in London next Tuesday to demonstrate clarity and convince Washington of a clear chain of command.

Meanwhile the Foreign Office said it was removing most staff from the UK embassy in Yemen as fighting continues - and concern is growing about the deteriorating situation in Bahrain.