Stig Östlund

lördag, mars 19, 2011

Spain sends fighter jets enforce no-fly zone over Libya

MADRID, March 19 (KUNA) -- Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero said Spanish fighter jets headed to Italian military bases on Saturday to join an international coalition enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya, aimed at protecting civilians from attacks by Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

Zapatero, quoted here by an official statement following a tripartite EU-Arab-African summit in Paris that discussed the Libyan crisis, said Spain was living up to its responsibilities vis-a-vis the recently-adopted UN resolution 1973 which enforced the no-fly zone.

He said Spain sent a Boeing-707, four F-18s, an F-100 Frigate, a submarine and a surviellance plane.

Zapatero said the Libyan government did not respect the international community's call for ceasefire.

He asserted that resolution 1973 emphasized on the protection of civilians and thus human rights.

A French jet bombed earlier in the day a military vehicle of Gaddafi's forces, the first strike since the no-fly zone entered effect.

KUWAIT NEWS AGENCY

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