Libya withdrawal without agreement 'calamity'

It would be calamitous if NATO ended its mission in Libya before a negotiated settlement between the two sides, one of Canada's top soldiers told MPs Friday.

Maj.-Gen. Jonathan Vance told the House National Defence committeethere's sufficient animosity between supporters of Moammar Gadhafi and the rebel groups thatto pull out too soon would be disastrous.

"Today the efforts of NATO are essential to the ability to continue to expand the space for humanitarian aid to occur, to prevent civilian casualties and so on," Vance said.

To withdraw under the country's current conditions, he said, "would be a calamity. An absolute calamity."

Vance says the political leadership and militaries ofNATO countries, including Canada, will be assessing the situation closer to the Sept. 27 end-of-mission date.

The NATO mission started to enforce a UN resolution to protect civilians from bomb attacks by Gadhafi, who has pledged to fight a bloody battle to the end to hang onto power. There were reports last spring his forces werestrafing his own people. Gadhafi's been the Libyan leader for 43 years.

"I can't sit here today - nobody, nobody - could sit here in front of you and categorically predict what the 27th of September will look like," Vance said.

"We could be certain, I think, that if the situation still required NATO and non-NATO forces operating under the rubric of unified protector, if it was required, post-27th September, I'm certain many nations would be contributing to that. But we can't tell."

'40 years of megalomania'

NDP defence critic Jack Harris says his party wants the Canadian Forces out after Sept. 27 to avoid mission creep. He says there are diplomatic means to pressure Gadhafi, including a UN special envoy.

"It's a pretty difficult situation, frankly," Harris said. "You're dealing with a country doesn't have a political culture of democratic institutions, you've had 40 years of megalomania in the sense of the type of government."

The NATO forces have hurt Gadhafi's ability to fight the rebels, Harris said. The immediate threat to civilians is over and it's time to focus on diplomacy, with neighbouring countries like Turkey trying to open talks, he said.

"It can't be somebody in London or in Washington or in Ottawa saying here's what has to happen. It has to be a process where those who have a stake in the future of Libya are engaged in that process," Harris said.