In Libya Feat, NATO Draws Harsh Lessons

 

4 Oct 2011 By LAURENT THOMET, AFP DefenseNews

BRUSSELS - NATO allies are savoring a bittersweet achievement in Libya: While the air campaign appears close to victory, the mission exposed major frailties in their ability to carry out a fight.

While Libya's new regime battles to defeat the last forces loyal to deposed dictator Moammar Gadhafi, NATO defense ministers will draw lessons from the six-month mission during talks Oct. 5-6.

With one conflict drawing to an end, the 28-nation alliance will also take stock of the war in Afghanistan, which marks 10 years on Oct. 7 amid plans by NATO allies to withdraw combat troops by 2014.

"Our operation to protect civilians (in Libya) has been a great success," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Although the mission is "close to an end," the ministers will not terminate it this week because Gadhafi forces are still attacking civilians, he told a news conference on Oct. 3.

NATO warplanes prevented Gadhafi from crushing a rebellion that erupted in February while daily bombing runs left the fugitive former leader's military in tatters, allowing the ragtag rebel army to take over the country in August.

It is also the first NATO operation with Europeans in the driver's seat while the United States took a backup role.

But Operation Unified Protector revealed NATO's shortcomings, with some allies refusing to participate while those who did relied heavily on the United States for key intelligence and logistics support.

Only eight NATO states took part in bombing missions - France, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Italy and the United States - while Germany and Poland irked allies by staying out of the fight.

"Our wish is that, when a similar operation presents itself, a higher number of European allies will have the desire and capabilities to intervene," Philippe Errera, the French ambassador to NATO, told reporters. "But these remain national decisions."

Europeans are under pressure from the United States to avoid drastic cuts in defense spending, but a debt crisis is forcing governments to impose austerity program that have not spared militaries.

"Our engagements in Libya and Afghanistan showed areas where allies must continue to improve their capabilities, such as drones, intelligence and air-to-air refueling," Rasmussen said.

"We cannot count on one ally to provide these assets," the NATO chief said in reference to the United States.

The U.S. military is facing its own budgetary constraints under orders from President Obama to find about $350-400 billion in cuts over the next 10 years.

"The time and era in which Europe could rely on the United States to do everything, that era, if it ever existed, is now clearly coming to a close," a senior NATO diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

In a parting shot to European allies, Robert Gates warned in June before retiring as U.S. defense secretary that their cutbacks risked driving NATO toward a "dismal" future. His successor, Leon Panetta, is expected to deliver a softer message when he attends his first NATO ministerial meeting this week, an alliance diplomat said.

Despite the deep gaps between the United States and Europe, defense analyst Jan Techau said the Libyan operation could serve as a blueprint for what NATO will look like in the future.

NATO can become a more flexible and pragmatic alliance, with some nations staying out of operations, like Germany and Poland chose to do, while the military club could serve as a vehicle to pool and share capabilities.

"NATO will be different, but it will not come to and end," said Techau, director of the Carnegie Europe think tank.