NATO against arming rebels in Libya: Secretary General

Thu Mar31, 2011 20:00:18 |English.news.cn

STOCKHOLM, March 31 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday during a visit in Sweden that NATO is against arming the rebels in Libya.

"As far as NATO is concerned, we will fully implement the U.N. Security Council resolution which requests the enforcement of the arms embargo, and the purpose of the arms embargo is to stop the flow of weapons into Libya," Rasmussen said, following recent proposals of some member countries to arm the rebels in Libya.

"We are there to protect the Libyan people, not to arm them," he said.

Rasmussen also defended NATO's operation in Libya as to protect civilians against what might eventually become a humanitarian catastrophe.

He appreciated Sweden's planned contribution of eight aircraft to the NATO-led military actions in Libya.

Rasmussen is visiting NATO's partner countries to discuss the situation in Libya and how the countries will contribute to the actions in Libya.