Impartial and Stuck: NATO's Predicament in Libya

Author(s): Daniel Möckli
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Date of publication: Apr 2011
Issue number: 91
Pages: 3
Series: CSS Analysis in Security Policy

Description: The military operation in Libya is supported by a remarkably broad UN mandate and has gained wide international backing. With a no-fly zone quickly established, it has succeeded in protecting large numbers of civilians. However, as Gaddafi has changed tactics, the allies are struggling to identify new military targets. Yet NATO’s biggest challenge is the lack of agreement concerning the political outcome of the mission. If the Alliance sticks with its declared impartiality, it faces a potentially long engagement without a clear exit strategy. If it considers extending stronger support to the rebels, it risks a major internal rupture.

General note: © 2011 Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich

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