NATO fails to resolve differences over Libya role

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO failed on Monday to resolve differences over whether NATO should take charge of enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya if the United States steps back from leading the operation, diplomats said.

After weeks of deliberations, NATO ambassadors on Sunday approved an operations plan for NATO to help enforce a U.N. arms embargo on Libya, and sought on Monday to agree to implement it and finalize plans for an alliance role in the no-fly zone.

"There were no results from the meeting," a NATO diplomat said. NATO officials said discussions would continue.

Alliance member Turkey was opposed to intervention in Libya and France has opposed leading NATO role, but with the United States looking to take step back from leadership of the operation, alliance command and control capabilities would be needed to coordinate a multinational effort.

On Monday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that Arab nations did not want to see NATO-led intervention, but NATO could take part in "planning and running" of operations.

"Today the United States is coordinating the interventions in close coordination with France and Britain. In a few days, if the United States pulls back from the operation, NATO is ready to come in with its support," Juppe said.

However, such a NATO role would require political support from all the 28 NATO states, and on Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey wanted several conditions met for a NATO role.

He said Turkey wanted the international military operation against Gaddafi's forces to be concluded as soon as possible, so Libyans could settle their own future. He also said military intervention should avoid ending in an occupation.

ITALIAN WARNING

Italy upped the ante by warning it would take back control of airbases it has authorized for use by allies for operations over Libya unless a NATO coordination structure was agreed.

"It's important that the command passes to NATO with a different coordination structure than what we have now," Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said at a political rally in Turin.

An Italian foreign ministry official said Italy considered the current three-way command structure involving France, Britain and the United States and the resulting bombing campaign "anarchic" and said it "poses problems to the Arab world."

The official said Italy also wanted to see "a circumscribing of the military objectives and limits to escalation."

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the intention was that command for the international force implementing a no-fly zone over Libya would transfer to NATO.

"This would mean that all NATO allies who wanted to contribute to the mission would be able to. Clearly the mission would benefit from that and from using NATO's tried and tested machinery in command and control," he said.

Several NATO states, led by France, Britain and the United States, have taken part in operations against Gaddafi's forces, but the role of NATO as an organization has been limited to expanded air surveillance.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has stressed the limits of planned U.S. military involvement, saying the United States would not have a "pre-eminent role" in maintaining a no-fly zone, and expected to turn over primary responsibility for the mission to others within days.

He said Britain or France could take charge of the air operation, or NATO could lead it, if sensitivities in the Arab League over working under NATO leadership were assuaged.

Diplomats said it would be easier to get an agreement on enforcing the arms embargo, which would involve use of alliance aircraft and ships to prevent weapons reaching Gaddafi's forces.

(Editing by Patrick Graham)