West struggles on NATO role, Libya strategy

With no air force of its own, for the next five weeks the only thing guarding Iceland from air invasion will be a sextet of Canadian fighter planes. In mid-March, six CF-18s and more than 160 Canadian Forces personnel bunked down at a Cold War-era base just outside Reykjavik to kick off Operation Ignition, a periodic mission in which Canada takes its turn defending the island nation, which is the only NATO member without a single soldier or pilot on the payroll.

NATO announced Saturday it had for the first time used attack helicopters in Libya, striking military vehicles, military equipment and forces backing embattled leader Colonel Moamer Kadhafi."Attack helicopters under NATO command were used for the first time on 4 June 2011 in military operations over Libya as part of Operation Unified Protector," the Atlantic Alliance said in a statement."The targets struck included military vehicles, military equipment and fielded forces," said the statement, without detailing exactly where the strikes had taken place.

The US House of Representatives seemed on track to approve a resolution Friday aimed at limiting the US role in strikes on Libya, amid deep anger at President Barack Obama's handling of the conflict.Republican US House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday that lawmakers would vote on that measure as well as a competing one that would authorize US forces to take part in the NATO-led pounding of strongman Moamer Kadhafi's military.

NATO announced Saturday it had for the first time used attack helicopters in Libya, striking military vehicles, military equipment and forces backing embattled leader Colonel Moamer Kadhafi."Attack helicopters under NATO command were used for the first time on 4 June 2011 in military operations over Libya as part of Operation Unified Protector," the Atlantic Alliance said in a statement.

A coalition of Western nations geared up Friday to launch air strikes on Libya after the UN approved military action to stop Moamer Kadhafi from crushing an insurgency.Despite a ceasefire announcement by Tripoli, Britain and France readied to launch operations after securing the UN Security Council's blessing and NATO agreed to speed up plans for a possible role for the 28-nation alliance.

U.S officials defended America's role in the NATO-led mission in Libya Monday, amid criticism that Washington is not doing enough as the coalition struggles.

NATO members struck a deal in principle Thursday to take over command of military operations in Libya within days from the coalition led by Britain, France and the United States.

NATO looked set to agree Sunday to take command of military operations against Moamer Kadhafi as France fights to keep political control in the hands of the US-led "coalition of the willing".Ambassadors from the 28-nation alliance gathered at 1600 GMT to mull military plans for a transfer nailed down only after long days of fraught talks, over objections raised by France and Turkey.