US has emphasized that ongoing military operation to enforce the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution in Libya as a no-fly-zone, is not an ‘act of war’ and it aims to protect the civilians of the country.
Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, said, "I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis, and setting up a no-fly zone.”
He further said, "The nature of our commitment is that we are not getting into an open-ended war, a land invasion in Libya. What we are doing is offering a unique set of capabilities over a period of days that can shape the environment for a no-fly zone.”
On this issue Sate Department spokesman Mark Toner said, "We are implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1973. It is clearly a combat operation or combat mission. As the (US) President made very clear, there will be no US ground force involved in this and that the US role is frontloaded, if you will, on this. But that’s going to obviously recede into a more broader international coalition as we move forward to implement the no-fly zone.”
The Pentagon too maintained a similar line "We are carrying out the mission of the UN Security Council resolution 1973 at the direction of the President in his speech," said Admiral Gerald P Hueber, Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force Operation Odyssey Dawn, when asked if he consider himself at war right now.
International News inextlive from World News Desk
