Operational Media Update

25 October.
Allied Joint Force Command NAPLES, SHAPE, NATO HQ

Mission

NATO took control of all military operations for Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 & 1973 on 31 March 2011. The aim of Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under attack or threat of attack.

The mission comprised of three elements: an arms embargo, a no-fly-zone and actions to protect civilians from attack or the threat of attack.
On 21 October 2011, after 204 days, the North Atlantic Council The Council agreed that the operations were very close to completion and took a preliminary decision to end the operation on 31 October 2011.  The Council will take a formal decision this week.  In the meantime, the Secretary General will consult closely with the United Nations and the National Transitional Council.

The Council agreed that NATO will wind down the operation, during which period NATO will monitor the situation and retain the capacity to respond to threats to civilians, if needed.
 
Our operations will involve intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and we will retain the ability to conduct strikes should the situation require us to do so.

It is not NATO policy to comment on intelligence matters or provide details on readiness posture. If NATO is required to act during this monitoring period it will detail these actions using this daily update.

Command and Control

NATO’s operational commander for Operation Unified Protector is Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard of the Canadian Air Force. His office and staff is located at the Allied Joint Force Command Naples.

Please note the revised working hours of the NATO Media Information Centre highlighted below.