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Rasmussen Says NATO Will Not Stop Libya Bombing

June 22, 2011

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance will continue its bombing campaign in Libya, amid calls from Italy for a halt to hostilities to allow humanitarian assistance to civilians.

Rasmussen said in a video statement on the NATO website that the Western bloc "will continue this mission because if we stop, countless more civilians could lose their lives."

Rasmussen also said NATO was acting with "utmost care" to avoid civilian casualties.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini earlier the same day called for "an immediate humanitarian suspension of hostilities" in Libya to make space for humanitarian aid corridors.

The alliance has admitted that one of its bombs misfired in Tripoli on June 19, hitting a residential area in an incident the Libyan regime says killed nine people.

Frattini today warned such incidents could harm the alliance's credibility.

compiled from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/rasmussen_says_nato_will_not_stop_bombing_libya/24243453.html

Copyright (c) 2011. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.