Doha conference in Libya pledge

Nato will provide for the future security needs of Libya and it is up to the council of the participating nations to determine the kind of support that would be offered, said Nato commander Admiral Samuel Locklear at the Chiefs of Staff meeting (Operation Unified Protector) in Doha yesterday. “Besides logistic and military services, Nato has made considerable efforts in humanitarian relief alongside a variety of organisations such as the UN,” he said.  Locklear said  the Nato campaign has been financed by member states and Qatar and UAE have also contributed in the process. “Nato is a military organisation that stands for the principles of its 27 member states and is not looking for financial incentives,” he said.    Addressing the meeting, HE Chief of Staff of the Qatari Armed Forces Maj Gen Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah affirmed the need to work in accordance with the developments on the ground to guarantee adequate and timely support for the Libyan people.The meeting was also attended by the chairman of the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC), Mustafa Abdul Jalil, NTC defence minister Jalal Ad-Deighali, and chiefs of staff representatives of  UAE, Morocco, US, UK, Jordan, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, France and Turkey.Maj Gen Al-Attiyah said the achievements of the rebels in Libya demand for supporting the rebels. Also, security and military support have to continue to guarantee return to normal life. He also stressed the importance of continuing the implementation of UN resolution No 1973 stipulating the protection of civilians in Libya, through fighting the outlawed pocket. All coastal and land borders of Libya should be protected against any illegal infringements or migration to and out of Libya.NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil said “the Libyan people and all humanity are indebted to the international community for issuing UN Resolution No 1973 that gave Nato the necessary mandate” to protect the Libyan people. He also said if it were not for this resolution, “the world would have the greatest massacre in modern history.”He said everybody knows the tyranny of Gaddafi and about how he desperately holds onto power, even as everyday his injustice and oppressions are revealed. Abdel Jalil admitted that without the support of Nato, the rebels would not have achieved amazing victories because of the imbalance of power. He affirmed that the Nato aerial strikes which amounted to more than 5,000 have not caused any civilian casualties. He further thanked those who executed the strikes, as they were very careful to warn civilians and spare their lives. He said  Gaddafi challenged the world by challenging the Nato coalition forces, and that he is not only dangerous for Libya but for the whole world. Abdel Jalil urged the world to protect the Libyan people against the tyrant who would do anything to remain in power.NTC defence minister Ad-Deighali also thanked Qatar for assisting in the success of the Libyan people. He also said that without Nato air strikes, Benghazi would have been turned into a tomb. He also said that the war is not over till Gaddafi, his sons, allies and hidden cells are annihilated. He said that there is still an urgent need to secure the achievements of the rebels and to control the subsequent security vacuum. He also said that Gaddafi harmed the world as well as Libya by sponsoring terrorism. Further, he said “we still need military and logistic support” and water is an urgent need after Gaddafi forces tried to form a closure on water resources in the desert. Speaking on behalf of the rebels, Abdul Hakim Bilhaj said the rebels are working to protect the Libyan coast against illegal migration that Gaddafi threatened to unleash on Europe. He also stressed that the rebels are highly disciplined and work in co-ordination with NTC and under its command.  Nato commander Locklear thanked Qatar for hosting the meeting and congratulated NTC for the amazing victories they have achieved. He said that when Nato operations started in Libya, the coalition was sure that the Libyans were winning their freedom and that Gaddafi was losing the battle.He said the Nato alliance remains resolute and continues to support the rebels throughout the mission and said that history would show that this was one of the most precise military operations. He said Nato forces work non-stop 24 hours a day and has been able to effectively maintain a no-fly zone and an arms embargo has also been effectively enforced and civilian protection has been challengingly effective.  He also said that 20,300 sorties have been done to weaken the regime and stressed that Gaddafi’s forces are diminishing and his collapse is imminent. Locklear also praised the tremendous courage of the Libyan people to stand up against Gaddafi and admitted that without the support of the people and member states, the operation would not have been possible. He said the Nato mandate in Libya would go on until Sept 27, which could be extended on demand. However, when complete victory is obtained Nato would undertake to clear the residuals of mass weapons of destruction (WMD) garnered by the Gaddafi regime.