WEBVTT 00:04.640 --> 00:07.920 commissions , Which represents over 00:07.920 --> 00:11.650 40% of the total sorties flown . So 00:11.660 --> 00:14.040 there's a good balance between on the 00:14.040 --> 00:16.270 one hand and forcing the no fly zone 00:16.280 --> 00:18.336 and on the other hand , interdicting 00:18.336 --> 00:21.140 the forces , the forces which threaten 00:21.150 --> 00:23.094 the civilian population in Libya . 00:25.640 --> 00:29.100 Finally , something about humanitarian 00:29.100 --> 00:32.150 assistance . We have established 00:32.160 --> 00:34.840 procedures to ease the passage of 00:34.840 --> 00:38.180 humanitarian flights and shipping and 00:38.180 --> 00:40.570 we have seen a steady increase in the 00:40.570 --> 00:42.403 level of humanitarian assistance 00:42.403 --> 00:44.820 activity into Libya . We are keeping 00:44.820 --> 00:48.060 track of the United Nations efforts to 00:48.060 --> 00:50.171 minimize the problematic humanitarian 00:50.171 --> 00:53.240 situation in Misrata . Since the 00:53.240 --> 00:56.090 beginning of the operation , A total of 00:56.090 --> 00:59.080 73 movements of humanitarian assistance 00:59.080 --> 01:01.920 have been executed or are momentarily 01:01.930 --> 01:05.830 in execution . 37 fire the 01:05.830 --> 01:09.460 air 22 fire see and 01:09.460 --> 01:12.790 14 fire ground of the 01:12.800 --> 01:16.620 22 maritime movements , 19 01:16.630 --> 01:19.430 ships went to Misrata to deliver 01:19.440 --> 01:21.050 humanitarian assistance 01:22.840 --> 01:25.430 Momentarily . 10 maritime and three 01:25.430 --> 01:27.660 ground movements are in execution . 01:28.840 --> 01:32.290 This includes six ships that are busy 01:32.300 --> 01:34.960 evacuating people out of Misrata . 01:36.930 --> 01:39.160 This answer my opening statement and 01:39.160 --> 01:41.382 I'm happy to take any questions you may 01:41.382 --> 01:44.350 have . I'd be grateful if you could 01:44.740 --> 01:47.610 switch any mobile devices to silence 01:47.620 --> 01:50.010 and please don't forget to introduce 01:50.020 --> 01:53.580 yourselves in your organization . Uh , 01:53.590 --> 01:56.600 BBC Brigadier General , thank you for 01:56.600 --> 01:58.767 sparing us some time . Can I just pick 01:58.767 --> 02:00.878 up a couple of points . Um , first of 02:00.878 --> 02:02.711 all , you talked about the close 02:02.711 --> 02:05.800 fighting in Misrata . Um , we've had 02:05.800 --> 02:07.911 statements from NATO over the past 24 02:07.911 --> 02:10.120 hours that you've seen fighters firing 02:10.120 --> 02:12.287 on civilians from Mosque the roots and 02:12.287 --> 02:15.530 Moss and in hospitals , the government 02:15.530 --> 02:17.530 in Libya's challenge you to provide 02:17.530 --> 02:19.474 evidence of that . They say you're 02:19.474 --> 02:21.641 spinning . So do you have surveillance 02:21.641 --> 02:23.641 of that ? If I could just ask you a 02:23.641 --> 02:25.808 further question to that ? You said in 02:25.808 --> 02:28.030 the past week or so ? I think that um , 02:28.030 --> 02:30.260 you could do with between eight and 12 02:31.270 --> 02:34.080 ground attack aircraft to supplement 02:34.080 --> 02:36.191 what is happening . Why has there not 02:36.191 --> 02:39.940 been a request for the Warthogs and the 02:39.950 --> 02:42.006 130s , which obviously are much more 02:42.006 --> 02:44.030 effective at hitting ground forces 02:44.030 --> 02:45.863 within city and built up areas . 02:54.240 --> 02:56.800 Um , with regards to your first 02:56.800 --> 03:00.790 question , I know that the 03:00.790 --> 03:02.957 commander in theater , General bouchar 03:02.957 --> 03:06.770 has made the statement about 03:06.780 --> 03:10.460 the close fighting in Misrata . Um , 03:11.440 --> 03:15.350 I myself , I have not seen the evidence 03:15.350 --> 03:17.980 of this , but I'm sure that if General 03:17.990 --> 03:20.101 bouchar makes this statement , it's a 03:20.101 --> 03:22.420 true statement . So I'm convinced that 03:22.420 --> 03:24.476 he's saying what's been happening on 03:24.476 --> 03:26.350 the ground , but I have not seen 03:27.740 --> 03:29.796 footage or whatever evidence of that 03:29.796 --> 03:32.850 myself from the rebels . 03:33.740 --> 03:35.407 I don't know where he got the 03:35.407 --> 03:39.140 information . Okay , so with regards to 03:39.140 --> 03:42.710 the assets , I would like to say that 03:42.720 --> 03:45.650 overall , we have the necessary assets 03:45.650 --> 03:48.870 to carry out the mission and our 03:48.870 --> 03:52.360 requirements are altered by changes in 03:52.360 --> 03:55.300 the situation on the ground and the 03:55.300 --> 03:58.940 tactics of the regime forces , we 03:58.940 --> 04:02.140 have aircraft over Libya at all times , 04:02.150 --> 04:04.900 day and night gathering intelligence 04:04.910 --> 04:06.940 and targeting forces , threatening 04:06.940 --> 04:10.260 civilians and we have the ability to 04:10.260 --> 04:12.760 respond to the changing picture on the 04:12.760 --> 04:15.790 ground as the situation demands within 04:15.790 --> 04:19.740 the scope of the current mission and 04:19.740 --> 04:23.690 the availability of aircraft is dealt 04:23.690 --> 04:25.920 with by individual nations contributing 04:25.920 --> 04:29.120 to our operations , of course . But I'm 04:29.120 --> 04:31.200 confident that we can sustain the 04:31.200 --> 04:33.880 current place of operations for as long 04:33.880 --> 04:36.460 as necessary to protect the people of 04:36.460 --> 04:39.750 Libya . And the additional 04:39.760 --> 04:43.030 aircraft that have been asked for that 04:43.030 --> 04:46.860 will give us more flexibility , uh , in 04:46.860 --> 04:50.260 dynamic targeting . So coming 04:51.440 --> 04:55.360 the The 10 and the 130s they are coming . 04:55.740 --> 04:58.140 I don't want to go into details about 04:58.150 --> 05:00.470 which assets are coming , but I can say 05:00.480 --> 05:02.710 that we already have more essence than 05:02.710 --> 05:03.360 we had friday .