4/05/2011

NATO Calls for Swedish Support




The Secretary General of NATO met up with the Swedish Prime Minister in Stockholm on Thursday. They talked about Sweden joining the NATO-led campaign against Colonel Gaddafi's forces in Libya.

[Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General]:
“I think we all have an obligation to fully live up to the obligation under this UN security council resolution.”

The Swedish government says yes to sending fighter jets to Libya, but the Parliament has a say, here, too. On Friday they'll decide if Swedish planes will take to the air to support NATO forces.

Sweden is not a NATO member, but has supported earlier NATO operations in Kosovo and in Afghanistan.

[Fredrik Reinfeldt , Prime Minister of Sweden]: 
“We hope of course that our eight air fighters, that with our supporting resources that we are putting up will be of outmost importance to uphold the Security Council’s mission.”

But some critics see the move as just a way of promoting the fighter jet Gripen. It hasn't been used in combat yet and if deployed, it should boost the sales of the fighter jet. 

The Swedish Prime minister  says if the decision is made to join NATO forces, the planes will only be used to enforce the No Fly Zone over Libya.

And according to the NATO Secretary General, NATO will not help arm the rebels in Libya but will block all imports of weapons into to the country.

NTD News,  Stockholm  Sweden

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