Strains are beginning to appear in Nato's mission in Libya. Yesterday, the military alliance admitted to killing nine civilians, including children, in Tripoli following air strikes. And last week, Nato announced that it had mistakenly struck a column of Libyan rebel vehicles in an air attack near an eastern oil town.
This is a clear indication that the mission has dragged on for a lot longer than anticipated (three months and counting), with no signs from the Gaddafi camp of surrender or compromise. It begs the question, what is Nato actually achieving in Libya? The rebels, who control much of the east of the country have complained that the military alliance's raids have not helped them gain decisive momentum against the Libyan leader's military, which has surprisingly performed well.
Clearly something is wrong. Nato has to urgently review its strategy in Libya; the chosen military route has proven ineffective and the costs, may no longer be justifiable. Right now, the civilian deaths caused by Nato are casting doubts on its credibility. The military alliance has to decide on how to move forward in Libya, and what its end goals are; it should also be very transparent about its activities there.
