Friday, March 18, 2011

UK to deploy planes for operation as Libya shuts airspace to all traffic

Britain will imminently start moving fighter jets to bases from where they can help enforce a no fly zone over Libya, Prime Minister David Cameron said.

Cameron, who said British forces would join the UN-sponsored operation if Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi failed to stop attacks on civilians, said the international community would soon set out what it expected from Gaddafi.

Cameron will also attend a summit in Paris on Saturday to discuss the situation with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Arab leaders.

"Britain will deploy Tornadoes and Typhoons as well as air-to-air refuelling and surveillance aircraft," Cameron told parliament.

"Preparations to deploy these aircraft have already started and in the coming hours they will move to airbases from where they can start to take the necessary action."

The United Nations has authorised military attacks on Gaddafi's forces to protect civilians.
Cameron said it was right that the latest UN resolution exlcuded any invasion force on Libyan territory.

"This is not about an army of occupation," Cameron said.

Meanwhile, Libya has closed its air space to all traffic, according to European air traffic control organisation Eurocontrol, a move that may anticipate the UN's imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya.

Eurocontrol said it had received information from Malta that Tripoli air traffic control had put out a notice saying it was not accepting any aircraft into Libyan airspace "until further notice".

"That is the only information we have at this time," said a spokeswoman for Eurocontrol. "It is information passed onto us from Maltese authorities."