NATO Urged To Stay In Libya Till Year End -- Sydney Morning Herald/AFP
Libya's interim leader has urged NATO to continue its Libya campaign until year's end, saying loyalists of slain despot Muammar Gaddafi still pose a threat to his country.
Mustafa Abdel Jalil's comments, made at a Doha conference of military allies of his National Transitional Council (NTC) on Wednesday, come a day after Gaddafi's body was buried in secret under cover of darkness after being displayed in public for four days.
"We hope (NATO) will continue its campaign until at least the end of this year to serve us and neighbouring countries," Abdel Jalil, the NTC chairman, told the Conference of Friends Committee.
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Update: Libyans seek further NATO help -- Reuters
My Comment: I must confess that I am surprised by this request .... I expected NATO to be gone by the end of this month. This now tells me the following .... the NTC government is concerned about the security situation, and having an outside military force like NATO on standby is the best way to insure that Gaddafi's loyalists remain quiet and the NTC's own alliance of militias continue to toe the line. This move is smart politically .... and what it would cost them is minimal.