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NATO leader praises German role in Libya
Published: 2 Nov 11 16:57 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20111102-38609.html
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has praised Germany’s role in the transatlantic alliance’s military operation in Libya, even though the German government refused to support it at the United Nations.
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“Germany has, despite its abstention in the UN Security Council, contributed to this operation,” Rasmussen told Die Zeit.
Berlin's controversial abstention came during a key vote on a UN resolution to back military action against Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi last spring. The decision created a diplomatic crisis with the United States, Britain and France, which all played major roles in the campaign to oust Qaddafi. It also sparked some hand-wringing in Berlin among those worried Germany was splitting from its traditional Western allies.
But it later emerged that Germany was quietly helping NATO by reassigning the aircraft, sending personnel to NATO headquarters to help with bomb targeting decisions and offering financial and diplomatic backing to anti-Qaddafi rebel forces.
The United States even praised Germany in September, with an aid to US President Barack Obama saying he was “very pleased” by the country’s actions.
In comments to Die Zeit, Rasmussen also said that the action in Libya revealed that European countries need to invest more money in their militaries in order to stay effective. He added, that the campaign was not purely humanitarian, but also meant to keep the entire region peaceful.
“I would say that the operation in Libya had the goal of preventing a destabilization from North Africa to Europe’s borders,” he said.
The Local/mdm
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Your comments about this article:
So, we've already started changing the casus belli retro-actively, huh? Figures :-/
Lets see if Libya will return to a peaceful Country.
By now the truth is so obvious to everyone...that NATO's mission was to help armed thugs overthrow Gaddafi and his government so the West could get their greedy hands in their resources. NATO probably figures it's OK now to drop the "protect civilian" silliness anyway.
The Arab so called Spring starts out as a real desire to ask for reforms and in most cases starts out peacefully.The problem is groups like Al Quaeda that radicalize these people and start the violence,which leads to reprisals from the Leaders and more violence.
There has yet to be any real reforms anywhere in an Arabic nation that gives the people the freedom they have died for.
Because one dictator goes does not mean democracy comes in its place.
It may take longer for this to happen that the west expects. People were looking for more freedoms not necessarily for democracy.
Freedom-Democracy= Status Quo Ante.
What would or will advocate doing about Syria?