WORLD_Defence minister heads to US for Libya talks

Defence minister heads to US for Libya talks
– Mon Apr 25, 12:27 pm ET


AFP/File – British Defense Secretary Liam Fox, pictured on March 6, travelled to the United States for talks with …

LONDON (AFP) – Defence minister Liam Fox travelled to the United States on Monday for talks with his American counterpart Robert Gates on the conflict in Libya, defence officials in London said.

The head of the British armed forces, Chief of Defence Staff General David Richards, was also due in Washington and would meet with his US counterpart, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokeswoman said.

Discussions will focus on "how the campaign has gone so far and what further opportunities we can exploit on the ground there," the spokeswoman said.

Plans to step up precision targeting of Libyan forces following the deployment of US Predator drones would also be discussed, said the spokeswoman.

The United States carried out its first strikes using the pilotless aircraft at the weekend.

Britain, the US and France launched military action over Libya in March to enforce a UN resolution aimed at protecting civilians from Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's forces, who were putting down an uprising against his rule.

NATO has since assumed command of the operation.

On Monday, NATO bombed Kadhafi's office in his Tripoli residence, while the besieged rebel-held city of Misrata came under fresh attacks from rockets.

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Defence Secretary Liam Fox to travel to US to find solution to stalemate in Libya
April 26, 2011 7:47AM


Foreign diplomats inspect buildings destroyed in a NATO airstrike, in Tripoli yesterday. The airstrike on Muammar Gaddafi's sprawling residential compound badly damaged two buildings. Source: AP

THE US and Britain will hold talks on the bombing of command and control centres that could be sheltering Colonel Gaddafi, in the increasingly desperate search for an endgame in Libya.
British Defence Secretary Liam Fox will travel to Washington to meet Robert Gates, his US counterpart, to discuss "targeting," according to aides.

Dr Fox suggested yesterday that the Libyan dictator was, effectively, always a target.

"All parts of command and control are legitimate targets so long as they are attacking civilians," he said.

"Those who are involved need to recognise we regard them as a legitimate target."

Officially, the NATO air offensive attacks only physical structures rather than individuals, as an explicit assassination strategy could be ruled illegal under UN resolution 1973.

However, senior army figures are becoming increasingly desperate for the conflict to come to an end, with military officials on both sides of the Atlantic fearing a stalemate.

Dr Fox said yesterday that there were "signs of success" in recent days, particularly in the town of Misrata, where rebels appeared to have seized control despite renewed government attacks.

Early yesterday, NATO aircraft bombed Colonel Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli, destroying an office, library, and reception hall. A security official said that four people were injured. The attack was the second on the compound in five weeks.

At the Washington meeting, Dr Fox will also discuss increasing a maritime blockade to stop fuel arriving in Tripoli. Although Libya produces oil, it has to import refined products such as petrol and diesel.

On the situation in Syria, Dr Fox said that Britain was "not considering" military action, suggesting that the regime may be given another chance before any action was taken.

Meanwhile, Italy will allow its air force to take "targeted action'' against selected military objectives in Libya, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said yesterday.

In a telephone conversation he had informed US President Barack Obama "that Italy has decided to respond positively'' to an appeal by the head of the NATO military alliance, Mr Berlusconi said in a statement.

"Italy has decided to augment the operational flexibility of its planes through targeted actions against specific military objectives on Libyan territory in the context of contributing to protecting the Libyan civilian population,'' he said.

In this way, "Italy remains within the limits set by the (NATO) mandate for the operation and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.''

Additional reporting: AFP