‘Tough to predict outcome of Libyan mission’

Days after the US-led coalition forces launched military operation to enforce a UN resolution with regard to a no-fly-zone over Libya and protect its civilians, the US Defence Secretary, Mr Robert Gates, has said it is tough to predict the outcome of the Libyan mission.

“I think there is any number of possible outcomes here, and no one is in a position to predict them. Whether there are major defections, further major defections within his own ruling circle, whether there are divisions within his family, there are a variety of possibilities, it seems to me,” Mr Gates told reporters in Cairo.

“One of the considerations in the UN Security Council Resolution was to exercise a humanitarian role, and where we are seeing him position his (Gaddafi) armour, his tanks and so on to shoot essentially defenceless civilians, we are taking action against that. You saw that on the highway outside of Benghazi a couple of days ago. So I think that there are a number of different possible outcomes here,” Mr Gates said.

He said in terms of timeline, the American part in this operation will begin to recede.

“We took on primary responsibility, but not exclusive responsibility, for suppressing air defences, and we look forward to turning over primary responsibility for sustaining the no-fly zone to our coalition partners.

The US will continue to support that effort,” he said.

However, in terms of enforcing the UN Security Council resolution, there is no current timeline in terms of when it might end, he said.

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