Washington, Mar 21 (ANI): US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that it would be "unwise" on the part of the forces of his country's international allies to try to kill Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in military strikes in Libya.
On being asked about his opinion on his British counterpart Liam Fox's statement of targetting Gaddafi directly, Gates said the allied operation should be carried out based on the norms of the UN Security Council.
"I think that it's important that we operate within the mandate of the UN Security Council resolution," The Telegraph quoted him, as saying.
Gates also said that the intervention was backed by "a very diverse coalition" and warned that expanding its goals could complicate the consensus around the UN resolution, the paper said.
"If we start adding additional objectives then I think we create a problem in that respect. I also think it's unwise to set as specific goals things that you may or may not be able to achieve," he added.
Expressing concern over directly supporting the rebel forces in the oil-rich country, Gates said: "I think this is basically going to have to be resolved by the Libyans themselves. Whether or not there is additional outside help for the rebels I think remains to be seen," adding that a no-fly zone should be established to prevent the Libyan dictator from slaughtering his own people.
US President Barack Obama, has also recently lowered down his tone over issues in Libya by describing the military action as a "limited military action in Libya in support of an international effort to protect Libyan civilians".
American and European forces had earlier launched a broad campaign of strikes against the Libyan Government, unleashing warplanes and missiles in a military intervention on a scale not seen since the Iraq war. (ANI)
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