Sweden Plans to Expand Libya Air Mission, Supply Marine Force
Sweden plans to expand its military support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s mission to bring stability to Libya, the minority government said after securing backing from two of three opposition parties.
The air-force surveillance efforts will expand to include all parts of the military and humanitarian campaign in Libya, from previously only helping uphold the United Nation’s approved no-fly zone, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said today at a press conference in Stockholm. A marine boarding force will be supplied to enforce the UN weapons embargo against the North African country, he said.
“The military pressure should be kept up to speed up the political process,” Bildt said. “We will now focus the air force mission on surveillance for the entirety of the operations, for all parts of the military operations and all part of the humanitarian operations.”
Sweden’s parliament in April agreed to send eight Saab AB (SAABB) Gripen fighter planes to Libya for three months as part of a NATO-led effort to enforce a no-fly zone. Five of these planes will remain in Libya, Bildt said.
The government plans to present a bill to parliament tomorrow which it expects will be approved the end of next week to extend the Swedish mission beyond June 22.
To contact the reporter on this story: Johan Carlstrom in Stockholm at jcarlstrom@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tasneem Brogger at tbrogger@bloomberg.net
Rate this Page