BRUSSELS – NATO will continue its bombing campaign in Libya as long as Muammar Qadhafi's forces remain an active threat to civilians, the alliance told visiting Libyan rebels on Wednesday.
Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Qadhafi's regime "has lost all legitimacy," and that a political solution must be found to end the war.
"Qadhafi's forces are still threatening innocent people," Fogh Rasmussen said after meeting with representatives of Libya's National Transitional Council. "And as long as that threat continues, we must continue to deal with it."
The Libyan delegation, headed by the rebels' diplomatic chief Mahmoud Jibril, briefed NATO's governing body about the progress of the war.
Protests broke out against the Libyan leader's 42-year rule in March, leading to a fierce government crackdown against dissenters. The UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing force to protect the lives of civilians, and a US-led international coalition began air strikes in mid-March against Qadhafi's military sites.
When NATO assumed command of the operation 31 March, the alliance expected that a sudden, sharp blow would quickly persuade Qadhafi to give up power. But while the bombing campaign has managed to halt Qadhafi's forces and prevent the fall of opposition-held cities like Benghazi and Misrata, it has not been able to dislodge his regime.
The rebels have been seeking more close air support to open the way for an advance on Tripoli, the capital.
The visiting Libyan delegation is also meeting with top European Union officials, including Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission.
In May, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton extended de-facto recognition to the transitional council by opening a diplomatic office in Benghazi and pledging support for a democratic Libya.
