UAE to send 12 planes on Libya mission: Sarkozy
March 25th, 2011 - 11:53 am ICT by IANSBrussels, March 25 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will send 12 aircraft to support the international coalition in the mission to protect civilians from attacks by Gaddafi forces in Libya, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said.
“I spoke to the crown prince of the UAE, who told me that the Emirates have decided to commit 12 planes to the coalition,” Sarkozy said on the sidelines of a two-day European Union summit in Brussels.
The UAE is the second Arab country to send aircraft to the coalition after Qatar, which sent two fighter jets and two military transport planes to one of the airbases in the Mediterranean.
The UN Security Council imposed a no-fly zone over Libya March 17, along with ordering “all necessary measures” to protect civilians from Muammar Gaddafi’s attacks on rebel-held towns.
The military operation in Libya - codenamed Odyssey Dawn - has been conducted so far jointly by 13 states, including the US, Britain and France.
NATO members agreed Thursday to assume responsibility for the enforcement of the no-fly zone in Libya, but the coalition forces will continue to carry out the bulk of air strike missions against Gaddafi’s ground troops.
Western warplanes have flown more than 300 sorties over the North African country and fired 162 Tomahawk missiles in the UN mission.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
pm/mj
- Qatar fighters patrol Libyan air space - Mar 26, 2011
- Preventing civilian deaths in Libya a priority: Medvedev - Mar 25, 2011
- Russia cancels evacuation flight to Libya - Mar 26, 2011
- 'Coalition forces paving rebels' way to Libyan oil facilities' - Mar 27, 2011
- Ground operation in Libya could start in April - Mar 26, 2011
- France, Britain ready to hit Libya, says Sarkozy - Mar 11, 2011
- US will not put ground forces in Libya, says Obama - Mar 26, 2011
- No plans to kill Gaddafi: Obama - Mar 26, 2011
- Coalition forces 'strike Gaddafi's home town' : Libyan state TV - Mar 27, 2011
- Russia objects to foreign military intervention in Libya - Mar 12, 2011
- Gaddafi warns of ending cooperation with EU - Mar 11, 2011
- Russia-NATO Council meeting to address Libya issue (Lead) - Mar 23, 2011
- UN lifts no-fly zone over Libya - Oct 28, 2011
- EU to discuss Libya, Japan - Mar 21, 2011
- NATO chief makes unannounced visit to Libya - Nov 01, 2011
Tags: airbases, arab country, crown prince, european union summit, fighter jets, fly zone, french president nicolas, french president nicolas sarkozy, military transport planes, muammar gaddafi, nato members, necessary measures, nicolas sarkozy, president nicolas sarkozy, ria novosti, strike missions, tomahawk missiles, un security council, united arab emirates, western warplanes