* Ban sides with U.S., France, UK against Russia, China
* Ban: NATO operation adhered “strictly” to UN mandate
* UN chief urges international action on Syria
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS – U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon on Wednesday defended NATO against criticism
from Russia, China and other countries that accuse the alliance
of overstepping its U.N. mandate to protect civilians in Libya.
It was an unusual move by the cautious head of the United
Nations, who will complete his first five-year term at the end
of the month and begin his second term in January. Ban has
rarely taken public positions that pit him some permanent
members of the 15-nation Security Council against others.
“Security Council resolution 1973, I believe, was strictly
enforced within the limit, within the mandate,” Ban told
reporters in New York. “This military operation done by the NATO
forces was strictly within (resolution) 1973.”
“I believe this is what we have seen, and there should be no
misunderstanding on that,” he said.
Resolution 1973, adopted in March 2011, authorized U.N.
member states to impose a no-fly zone over Libya and take “all
necessary measures” to protect civilians threatened by the
government’s crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators inspired
by “Arab Spring” uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Continued…
