Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he believes that the Canadian Forces will be able to wrap up their mission in Libya “well before” their next three-month mandate is over.
Mr. Harper will ask the House of Commons this week to approve a three-month extension after NATO countries agreed to stay with the mission beyond the Sept. 27 deadline, but he said Canada’s goal is to wipe out the remaining threat of pro-Gadhadi forces and it should be over sooner.
The Prime Minister again asserted that Canada will stick with the NATO mission until the end, but indicated he expects that will be soon.
“For the definition of the end, obviously we are seeking a situation where the armed threat of the Gadhafi forces will be finished,” he told reporters after a high-level conference on Libya at the United Nations in New York.
“We are asking the Parliament to extend the mission by three months, but I’m very optimistic we will meet our goals before then.”
Forces loyal to ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi continue to fight back Libya’s former rebels in a handful of cities, although the new National Transitional Council holds sway in Tripoli and most of the country.
And while there can be questions of just how complete the military victory must be before NATO withdraws its air-and-sea mission, Mr. Harper’s comments indicated that he expects forces won’t stick around while the new government stabilizes its control once the Gadhafi forces are defeated on the battlefield.
The high-level conference brought dozens of world leaders asserting that countries must help Libya rebuild by releasing frozen assets and providing assistance. Mr. Harper said Canada will play a role, probably in the creation of democratic institutions, disarming the country and helping control weapons, and, through private Canadian companies, economic development.
But there was some quibbling about how long NATO should stay – South African President Jacob Zuma said withdrawal is a prerequisite for stability, and that the justification for the no-fly zone over Libya no longer exists.
U.S. President Barack Obama, who like many other leaders praised Libyans for taking control of their country, also asserted NATO must stay until the Gadhafi forces are no longer a threat.
“So long as the Libyan people are being threatened, the NATO-led mission to protect them will continue,” Mr. Obama said. “And those still holding out must understand the old regime is over, and it is time to lay down your arms and join the new Libya.”
Although Mr. Harper has emphasized the sizable role Canada played in the military intervention in Libya, commanded by Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard – neither Mr. Obama nor Libya’s new leadership highlighted Canada’s part.
Mr. Obama, noting that the United States did not take the lead role in the NATO intervention, credited European allies with conducting most of the air strikes in Libya, “especially the United Kingdom, and France, and Denmark and Norway.”
And the president of Libya’s National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, opened the meeting with his own thanks that named several countries, including the United States, Britain, France, Turkey and Italy. “And those whose names I have not mentioned, I would like to apologize,” he said, thanking those not singled out for their contributions.
Mr. Harper, however, expressed pride in the country’s role. Military officers have said that Canadian CF-18 fighter jets conducted about 8 per cent of the strike missions, and a Canadian warship, and surveillance and re-fuelling planes have also been deployed.
“Canada is proud to have played a key role through forceful but measured action against brutal oppression,” he said in his address to the high-level Libya meeting in New York, which brought together leaders and foreign ministers from dozens of countries.
“Because elements of the Gadhafi regime continue to engage in armed resistance, Canada will see the NATO mission through to its conclusion.”
