NATO takes control of air strike campaign against Gaddafi forces in Libya

NATO has agreed to take control of the air campaign against ground targets in Libya, replacing the United States, France and Britain coalition which has been fighting Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces for the past week.



According to the Guardian in the United Kingdom, the 28 ambassadors of NATO's policy-making North Atlantic council met in Brussels to agree on the rules of engagement for the air campaign. The campaign is aimed at protecting civilians against Gaddafi's onslaught.



The decision means that NATO will take charge of all three aspects of the Libya campaign – enforcing a no-fly zone and arms embargo and prosecuting the air campaign on ground targets.



The decision, capping a week of squabbling over NATO's role, came in advance of a conference in London scheduled for Tuesday which will bring together more than 40 foreign ministers and international organisations aimed at plotting Libya's future.