NATO may end mission in Libya next week

PanARMENIAN.Net -

The military mission in Libya is largely complete and NATO's involvement could begin to wrap up as soon as next week after allied leaders meet in Brussels, according to the top U.S. commander for Africa.

Army Gen. Carter Ham, head of U.S. Africa Command, stated that American military leaders are expected to give NATO ministers their assessment of the situation during meetings late next week.

NATO could decide to end the mission even though ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi is still at large and his forces are still entrenched in strongholds such as Sirte and Bani Walid.

Just last week, NATO's decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, agreed to extend the mission over the oil-rich North African nation for another 90 days, but officials have said the decision would be periodically reviewed.

Ham said that the National Transitional Council and its forces should be in "reasonable control" of population centres before the end of the NATO mission, dubbed Unified Protector. And he said they are close to that now.

When NATO makes its decision, Ham said he believes there would be a seamless transition of control over the air and maritime operations to U.S. Africa Command. And, at least initially, some of the military surveillance coverage would remain in place.

"We don't want to go from what's there now to zero overnight," Ham said. "There will be some missions that will need to be sustained for some period of time, if for no other reason than to offer assurances to the interim government for things like border security, until such time that they are ready to do all that themselves," The Associated Press quoted him as saying.