US not to make political intervention in Libya: Gates

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US not to make political intervention in Libya: Gates

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US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said that the US will not have a permanent role in Libya.

21 March,2011 08:53 am

Talking to reporters aboard a US military plane en route to Russia, Gates said that it would be unwise to kill Muammar Gaddafi in military strikes in Libya. I think that it is important that we operate within the mandate of the UN Security Council resolution, he said, adding that expanding its goals could complicate the consensus around the UN resolution. The defence secretary said that the US could hand the control of the Libya military mission over to France or Britain in few days. He said that President Obama enjoyed a unanimous backing of his advisors on military action against Libya.