3 May 2011 — Stop NATO
- Libya: NATO Transitions To Terror Bombing Phase Of War
- NATO Spokesman Wants New UN Resolution For Libyan Invasion
- NATO’s Air War Over Libya: 4,886 Air Missions, 1,980 Strike Sorties
- Expert: NATO Invasion Of Libya Would Produce Catastrophe
- Libya: Church Leader Asks NATO For Truce Out Of Respect For Victims
- NATO Headquarters: Military Chiefs Of 54 States Meet On Libyan, Afghan Wars
NATO Spokesman Wants New UN Resolution For Libyan Invasion
rt.com/news/line/2011-05-03/#id9293
RT
May 3, 2011
UN Security Council should adopt new resolution on Libya – NATO spokesman
The UN Security Council should adopt a new resolution on Libya, a NATO spokesman has said during a video conference with Russian students.
“I believe that the UN Security Council should adopt a new resolution on Libya. Resolution 1973 does not envisage land operations. That is why it is not possible to carry out any military action on the ground, there is a need of a new resolution,” James Appathurai said.
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NATO’s Air War Over Libya: 4,886 Air Missions, 1,980 Strike Sorties
www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_05/20110503_110503-oup-update.pdf
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
May 3, 2011
NATO and Libya
JFC Naples, SHAPE, NATO HQ
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Over the past 24 hours, NATO has conducted the following activities associated with Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR:
Air Operations
Since the beginning of the NATO operation (31 March 2011, 08.00GMT) a total of 4886 sorties, including 1980 strike sorties have been conducted.
Sorties conducted 02 May: 158
Strike sorties conducted 02 May: 56
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Key Targets and Engagements
02 May: In the vicinity of Misurata: 12 Ammunition Storages, 3 Self-Propelled Artillery Pieces.
In the vicinity of Sirte: 2 Armoured Personnel Carriers.
In the vicinity of Ras Lanuf: 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher.
In the
vicinity of Brega: 1 Truck-Mounted Gun, 3 Multiple Rocket Launchers.
In the vicinity of Zintan: 1 Ammunition Storage.
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A total of 19 ships under NATO command are actively patrolling the Central Mediterranean.
6 Vessels were hailed on 02 May to determine destination and cargo. 1 boarding (no diversion) was conducted.
A total of 757 vessels have been hailed, 26 boardings and 5 diversions have been conducted since the beginning of arms embargo operations.
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Expert: NATO Invasion Of Libya Would Produce Catastrophe
english.ruvr.ru/2011/05/02/49744720.html
Voice of Russia
May 3, 2011
Libya operation going evil
Ilya Kharlamov, Olga Denisova, Nina Dmitriyeva
Russia accuses the NATO-led coalition ranged against Muammar Gaddafi of overstepping its mandate in Libya. It also calls attention to the fact that Security Council Resolution 1973 that established a no-fly zone over that North African country tells the coalition to protect, not kill, Libyans, and does not empower it to target Libyan leaders.
A Foreign Ministry statement about this Sunday came a few hours after a NATO air raid on a government compound in Tripoli killed one of Gaddafi’s sons and three grandchildren. Reports also spoke about significant civilian casualties outside the compound.
Gaddafi supporters responded to the attacks by ransacking the Tripoli office of the United Nations and the embassies of Great Britain and Italy. Unlike in instances of civilian Libyan deaths, which are routinely hushed up, the coalition reacted to these attacks with exemplary promptness and energy. The Libyan Ambassador in London, for instance, got Foreign Office orders to pack up and leave.
Muammar Gaddafi apparently remains a target, and a ground operation in Libya is a growing possibility. According to this country’s NATO ambassador Dmitry Rogozin, in the European Union alone 15 hundred troops are already on standby for a ground invasion under the pretext of averting mass human suffering in Libya.
Dr. Gumer Isayev of the Political Sciences Department of St. Petersburg State University agrees with senior Russian diplomats that any such invasion would result in a catastrophe:
“An invasion to protect civilians would inevitably result in a mass slaughter of them. Once in the thousands, the civilian deaths would become everyday statistics of what NATO terms ‘collateral casualties’. If NATO powers do invade, they will have to go the whole hog, igniting yet another big war in a sensitive area. Leaders like Nicolas Sarkozy will soon step down, leaving their soldiers on North African soil to suffer and die.”
The coalition discusses the Libyan crisis at conferences on Libya. The first such conference sat in London in March, and the second one is gathering in Rome today. The delegates are expected to continue insisting that Gaddafi go.
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Libya: Church Leader Asks NATO For Truce Out Of Respect For Victims
AsiaNews
May 3, 2011
Tripoli bishop asks Italy and NATO forces for a truce out of respect for victims
Tripoli: “Italy and NATO forces should organise a week-long truce out of respect for human life, families and Libya. It is an act of humanity and Libyans are sensitive to such deeds, despite the anger caused by the war,” Mgr Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, apostolic vicar to Tripoli, told AsiaNews. After the death of one of Gaddafi’s sons and three of his grandchildren, the prelate calls on all the nations at war against Libya to stop bombing and killing civilians.
“People are exhausted by the constant explosions and want an end to the hostilities,” he explained. “We must understand the pain caused by a bomb that destroys a house and takes lives.”
Saif Al-Arab Gaddafi was given a state funeral yesterday in Tripoli. The Libyan leader’s youngest son was killed on Saturday in a NATO airstrike against Bab al-Aziziya, Gaddafi’s private fortress.
The ceremony lasted four hours and brought together government officials, relatives and most of the people of the capital. Gaddafi himself was not present for security reasons.
Mgr Martinelli attended the funeral along with delegations representing religious communities present in the country. He slammed those who question the identity of the dead man, something that raises the anger and hatred of the Gaddafi’s family but also of the Libyan people.
“When they invited me to go to the funeral, I accepted because it was an act of compassion,” he said. “I saw the body of the young man; how can anyone say it was a farce.” Trading false accusations is terrible and is generating endless biases towards Libya and Gaddafi.
According to Mgr Martinelli, the Italian government, originally a great friend and backer of the Libyan leader, must change its policy and oppose the bombing. It must start a dialogue with the government to avoid an escalation of hatred and reprisals.
“How can we expect Gaddafi to stand idle,” he said. “It is obvious that he will react by sending thousands of immigrants to Italy because [foreign] governments refuse to talk to him.”
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NATO Headquarters: Military Chiefs Of 54 States Meet On Libyan, Afghan Wars
www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-64334B60-E9C372F5/natolive/news_72976.htm
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
May 3, 2011
NATO and Partner Chiefs of Defence meet to discuss key military challenges
-The MC [Military Committee] will also meet in separate sessions with Ukraine and Georgia to take stock of the on-going transformation of these countries’ Armed Forces. Both countries are contributing to NATO and NATO-led operations.
Brussels: NATO’s Military Committee (MC) in Chiefs of Defence Staff (CHODs) session will meet at NATO HQ on 4th and 5th May 2011. Under the chairmanship of Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, the highest military representatives of 54 countries will discuss in various formats the military evolution of NATO and NATO-led operations.
This key military meeting will assess progress of the Berlin Ministerial recommendations (April 2011), and will be instrumental to the Defence Ministerials discussions in June 2011.
For the first time since NATO took command and control of Operation Unified Protector in Libya, CHODs will have a chance to evaluate operational progress, together with NATO’s two Strategic Commanders Adm. Jim Stavridis (SACEUR) and Gen. Stéphane Abrial (SACT) and JFC Naples Commander Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III.
Regarding Afghanistan, focus will be on Transition and the long-term perspective for the country. Gen. David Petraeus (COMISAF) and the newly appointed NATO Senior Civilian Representative Amb. Simon Gass will update CHODs on key issues.
Furthermore, the NATO-Russia Council Military Representatives (NRC-MR) will meet to examine and deepen further ways to enhance military-to-military cooperation. Army Gen. Makarov and Adm. Di Paola will formally take the co-editorship of the approved NRC Consolidated Glossary of Cooperation. Media are invited to the presentation of this important tool which is the result of 10 years of diplomatic and military collaboration.
The MC will also meet in separate sessions with Ukraine and Georgia to take stock of the on-going transformation of these countries’ Armed Forces. Both countries are contributing to NATO and NATO-led operations.
The New Dark Age 