Berlin, April 15: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called for “a few more” fighter jets to step up strikes on Libya, but has received no offer from any ally.
In a NATO meeting in Berlin on Thursday, no country accepted to supply the extra warplanes for the Libya war.
On Wednesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have agreed to boost “military pressure” on Libya.
However, critics have said the rise in civilian deaths is coming not only from pro-Gaddafi forces but from NATO bombings.
“To avoid civilian casualties, we need very sophisticated equipment so we need a few more precision fighter ground-attack aircraft for air-to-ground missions,” added Rasmussen.
The US has rejected to increase its role in Libyan attacks — continuing to fly a third of the missions.
Germany and Turkey have rejected joining the war, Spain continues to provide only aircraft support, while Italy has voiced confusion over NATO demands for increased military aid.
Last month, under a UN no-fly zone mandate, Western warplanes began their air assaults on Libya, and reports say that scores of civilians have been killed in the NATO-led campaign.
Revolutions that toppled authoritarian rulers in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt have inspired Libyan revolutionary forces in their fight to topple Muammar Gaddafi, who has ruled the country for over 41 years.
——–Agencies