Italy not to bomb Libya, says Berlusconi
April 16th, 2011 - 8:36 pm ICT by IANSRome, April 16 (IANS/AKI) Italy will not drop bombs on Libya, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has said.
Libya was an Italian colony from 1911 to 1943, and Italy is the North African country’s biggest trade partner.
Berlusconi also has close ties with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Recently, Berlusconi told members of the foreign press in Rome that he was ready to resign last month when the UN approved a resolution to bomb military forces led by Gaddafi.
“We’ve already done enough,” Berlusconi said.
France and Britain have been pressurising NATO allies to step up bombing missions against Gaddafi’s forces. France was the first to bomb Libya last month.
Italy has contributed eight aircraft to the mission but only for reconnaissance and monitoring operations, according to the government which added that the aircraft will not open fire.
“That policy won’t alter”, Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa said after a cabinet meeting. “We’re not going to change.”
Earlier, in an interview to the Il Sole 24 Ore daily, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini had said the government might be convinced by rebels to use lethal force against Gaddafi’s military.
“If the Libyans give us strong arguments we will see, the government will decide,” he said. “But everyone asked me to not do it, so I stayed in my post.”
–IANS/AKI
pm/vt
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