@astriddarea.dare
Sweden Ready To Send Ground Troops To #Libya Along With Other Nordic Countries is.gd/L3cySoHumanitarian to occupation. #war #Gaddafi
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HELSINKI - Sweden is prepared to send an air-supported ground troop contingent to Libya, independently or as part of a joint Nordic force, to help guarantee the country's long-term security in the post-Gadhafi era, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said.
Reinfeldt said his government is open to discussing the size of the force, while the Swedish government is in contact with the other Nordic states to appraise their intentions.
"The important immediate issue for Libya is to establish civilian rule that can take the country in a democratic direction," Reinfeldt said. "We will consider requests made on us for troops and cooperation with other countries."
Sweden, along with the NATO-aligned Nordic nations of Denmark and Norway, contributed fighter jet squadrons and support crews as part of NATO's Unified Protector no-fly zone operation launched in March.
Only Finland among the Nordic countries did not contribute a fighter squadron, although the country has informed the U.N. and NATO that it is ready to discuss sending ground troops and civilian crisis-management units to Libya, said Erkki Tuomioja, Finland's foreign minister.
Tuomioja said it was too early at this stage to talk about when such a deployment would take place, or if it would be a Finnish or a joint Nordic force.
"Finland is prepared to contribute to a U.N.-led operation," Tuomioja said. "Obtaining U.N. authorization for such an operation will be a key matter, and at this juncture, I do not consider a NATO-led operation in Libya to be likely. We may also see a European Union-led initiative, both from a military and civilian crisis management context."
For military contributions to the U.N. or NATO to take place, Nordic governments, unlike the U.S., Britain and France, must first recognize the Transitional National Council, Libya's rebel government, as the country's legitimate representative.
Denmark will discuss Libya's post Gadhafi security needs, Foreign Minister Lene Espersen said.
"The issue of troops and security is for later," he said. "What is vital is that the United Nations Security Council, NATO and the Libya Contact Group meet to guarantee international support for reconciliation."
