Main focus of Thursday, June 23, 2011

Nato at odds over Libya strategy

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Libya to allow humanitarian aid to reach the country, a proposal that was categorically rejected by Nato members France and the UK. The conflict highlights Nato's lack of a plan for Libya, commentators write, calling on the Alliance to clearly define the mission's goals.

Avvenire - Italy

The rejection by the UK and France of Italy's call for a ceasefire is motivated by election tactics and the economic interests of the two countries, the Catholic daily Avvenire suspects: "Despite the massive bomb attacks a dead-end has been reached in military terms. ... So now the path of diplomacy must be resumed. The creation of corridors to help the population suffering under this conflict cannot be done without the approval of Gaddafi, who is the only person responsible for the present course of the war. ... The clear rejection of Italy's proposal highlights the refusal by Paris and London to admit that the current strategy has failed to achieve the envisaged (and announced) goals. At the same time their rejection also raises suspicions that all the activism is in fact driven by domestic election campaign tactics and energy policy goals." (23/06/2011)

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De Tijd - Belgium

Italian Foreign Minister Franko Frattini's demand for an end to the Nato intervention in Libya is simply not an option, writes the business paper De Tijd: "The mission against Gaddafi must not be abandoned too quickly. Nevertheless time is of the essence. The European Nato states are on their last legs, and warn that their funding and other resources are quickly drying up. They look imploringly to their big US brother in the hopes that he'll help them out of their predicament. But after the exhausting battles in Afghanistan and Iraq he's now tired of war. And the US has learned from its own botch-ups in Afghanistan and Iraq that if you go to war you'd better have a good plan. This advice comes too late for Libya. Nevertheless Nato must bring its work to a successful conclusion. There's no other option." (23/06/2011)

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Trouw - Netherlands

In view of the civilian victims in Libya Nato must finally define the goal of the mission, writes the Christian-social daily Trouw: "It has taken too long for Nato to admit that its air strikes have also claimed victims among the civilian population, and it's unclear whether the alliance can be called to account for this. That would be the case if Nato overstepped its mandate. So right now only one question is relevant: what is the actual goal of the Nato operations in Libya, and does that goal justify the means being used to achieve it? ... The basis for the operation was a UN Security Council resolution, the goal of which was to protect the Libyan people. Not to expel the Libyan leader. Not to give the rebels military support. ... Nato must continue to work towards this goal in the interest of the Libyan citizens and in its own interest of securing a hopefully stable situation in the Mediterranean region." (23/06/2011)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » France, » United Kingdom, » Libya

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