Canada may extend its mission in Libya
Baird unclear on the nature of extended campaign
People celebrate the capture of Tripoli at the rebel-held town of Benghazi, Libya, early August 22, 2011. Libyan rebels raced into Tripoli in a lightning advance Sunday that met little resistance as Moammar Gadhafi’s defenders melted away and his 40-year rule appeared to rapidly crumble. The euphoric fighters celebrated with residents of the capital in the city’s main square, the symbolic heart of the regime. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
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Canada’s mission in Libya may extend after the September 27 deadline into October and possibly beyond, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Tuesday. What isn’t clear is what that mission will look like. Canadian jets have bombed Libyan targets for six months, part of larger NATO campaign that started out as enforcing a UN-mandated no-fly zone to protect civilians but morphed into support for an all-out civil war. Western-backed rebels now control much of the country, throwing the future of the NATO intervention into flux. Baird told CBC’s Power and Politics that Canada will “be in theatre to support the Libyan people.” Whether that means continued bombing sorties, soft-power aid or other forms of military backing, he did not say. For their part, the Libyan transitional government has rejected calls for a UN peacekeeping mission, asking instead for electoral aid.