15 Apr 2011

NATO calls for more planes for Libya mission

10:03 pm on 15 April 2011

NATO countries have rebuffed calls by Britain and France to contribute more to airstrikes on Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi's forces.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he had asked the US for more help to boost the number of aircraft available to take action.

But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington would continue to provide planes only on a case-by-case basis.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a summit of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin that the alliance needed "a few more" warplanes for its mission but that so far no offers had been received.

The BBC reports that only a few of NATO's members - including France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway and Denmark - are conducting air strikes in support of the Libyan rebels and have maintained their position, despite the British and French appeals.

Spain says it has no plans to take part in ground attacks in Libya and Italy said it needed to hear convincing arguments to do so.

Despite the divisions over active involvement in the airstrike campaign, the US, Britain and France are saying pressure needs to continue on the Libyan leader.

Fighting continues in Misrata

Fighting is continuing in Misrata where, for the past seven weeks, opposition forces have been engaged with supporters of Colonel Gaddafi.

A rebel spokesperson says government forces fired 80 rockets into a residential area near the port, killing 23 people and wounding dozens.

The city is desperately short of food, water and medical supplies.

Other fighting is going on in a mountainous area southwest of the capital, Tripoli.

NATO warplanes on Thursday bombed targets in Tripoli. There were loud explosions, followed by heavy anti-aircraft fire.

Afterwards, Libyan TV broadcast pictures which appeared to show Colonel Gaddafi in car driving through Tripoli, pumping his fists in the air.

International forces began carrying out air raids on Libya on 19 March to enforce a United Nation's no-fly zone and to protect civilians from attacks by government troops.