Qatar flies joint mission over Libya, while UAE promises jets

Albuquerque Express Saturday 26th March, 2011

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are the latest countries to join the international coalition enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, with Qatar the first Arab state to actually fly missions over Gaddafi’s country.

The Libyan no-fly zone, authorised by the United Nations and intended to protect Libyan civilians from Gaddafi’s forces, also has the support of the Arab League, although questions over its long-term enforcement remain.

The primary issue facing participating countries, including the US, France, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Italy, Qatar and six other nations, is who will lead the coalition once phase one of the operation is complete.

Currently, the coalition is led by the United States, but President Obama has indicated the US military is keen to hand over this role and instead provide intelligence and logistics support. The most likely replacement will be a NATO command structure.

This command structure would also encompass Middle Eastern military forces, such as jets of the Qatar air force, which flew joint missions over Libya on Friday with France.

“Having our first Arab nation join and start flying with us emphasizes that the world wants the innocent Libyan people protected from the atrocities perpetrated by pro-regime forces,” said U.S. Air Forces Africa Commander Major General Margaret Woodward.

The United Arab Emirates, another regional powerhouse in the Middle East, has pledged the participation of at least 12 fighter jets in the no-fly zone.

Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the opposition Benghazi city council in Libya, called Qatar “an Arab country to be proud of”.