BRUSSELS, March 23 (Xinhua) -- NATO's spokeswoman said on Wednesday that the alliance had approved necessary military plans on Libya and been ready to act when required.
"NATO has now conducted all the necessary military planning for all eventualities, a humanitarian assistance mission, operations to enforce arms embargo on Libya and operations to enforce a no-fly zone. All three plans have now been approved by the North Atlantic Council. NATO is ready to act, if and when required," Oana Lungescu told a press briefing.
"Regarding the no-fly zone, allies are continuing to consult today on whether to activate the agreed plan and how to define a possible NATO role in enforcing a UN mandated no-fly zone. No decision has been taken," she told reporters.
Lungescu said a consensus must be reached to activate the plan, however, the ongoing discussion was "in a positive spirit."
NATO ambassadors are meeting Wednesday to decide how the alliance should get involved in the ongoing military operations against Libya, which have been launched by individual countries.
Britain, France and the United States have agreed that NATO should take over the military command of the no-fly zone over Libya, while the political oversight would be handed to a separate body made up of members of the coalition, including Arab countries, according to the Guardian newspaper Wednesday.
NATO is now conducting two military operations on Libya, the round-the-clock airborne surveillance and deploying naval vessels to enforce the United Nations' arms embargo on Libya.
Sixteen naval vessels from Italy, the U.S., Britain, Greece, Turkey, Spain and Canada, would participate in the arms embargo operation, a NATO military official said.
