WEBVTT

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Good afternoon and welcome to NATO HQ

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uh Welcome today Wing Commander Mike

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bracken , who is joining us from Naples ,

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the headquarters of Operation Unified

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Protector . Mike bracken is our new

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military spokesperson and he will be

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briefing us and you on a regular basis

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from Naples from now on . So welcome .

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Mike a few remarks from my side on the

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political front before we move to

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enables for the operational update . As

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you know today , the Secretary General

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will hold a meeting with US President

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Obama in Washington at the end of his

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visit to the United States . Their

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discussions will focus on operations on

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progress in Afghanistan and in Libya

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during his visit to the United States ,

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the secretary general has emphasized

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the vital importance of the

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transatlantic bond and he has also

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stressed that while the US brings

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unique capabilities to the alliance ,

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Europeans and Canadians are also making

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key contributions . And our libyan

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mission where Europeans and Canadians

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provides most of the air assets is a

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clear example of that . The meeting

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with President Obama will provide an

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important opportunity to exchange views

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and ideas as we also start to look

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ahead to the next NATO summit , which

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as you know , will take place in the US

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next year . Now , let me say a few

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words on Libya six weeks ago , NATO and

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our partners launched a mission to

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protect civilians in the country . It

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is now almost three months since the

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regime threatened to destroy Benghazi

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and its people . It is two months since

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they attack Al Ajdabiya and Misrata .

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But the Gaddafi regime has failed to

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retake those cities by force in Misrata .

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Gaddafi forces have been put on the

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back foot by those that have been

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defending the city and its vital port .

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This illustrates a dynamic situation .

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There is definitely no stalemate . We

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are seeing real progress in our mission .

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NATO and our partners have kept a high

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operational tempo from the outset and

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we have taken out a significant part of

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Gaddafi's war machine . We can see the

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effect across the country in Libya .

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Every day , it becomes harder for

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Gaddafi's forces to launch and sustain

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their attacks on civilians and we are

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also having a political effect . The

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Gaddafi regime is more and more

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isolated . The pressure continues to

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increase internationally and at home .

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So every day the regime script of fear

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is weakened and I can assure you that

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NATO allies and partners are determined

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to continue implementing the UN mandate

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until the mission is from field . So

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now I hand over to mike balcony Naples

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mike , the floor is yours please ,

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the Operation United Protector here at

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the Combined Joint Task Force

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headquarters Naples , I will provide an

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operational update on the activity that

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NATO and the coalition has been

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undertaking in the area of operations

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regarding Libya , which are covered by

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United Nations Security Council

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resolution 1970 and 1973 .

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It is important to remember that this

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is an ongoing campaign to protect the

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innocent civilian population of Libya

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from harm . Every nation that is

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providing people aircraft and ships is

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committed to that mission . So let me

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begin since the beginning of Operation

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Unified Protector . More than 6.5 1000

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sorties , including 2.5 1000 strike

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sorties have been conducted in order to

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protect civilians from attack or the

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threat of attack . The situation on the

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ground remains dynamic with significant

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changes . Just in the past 72 hours ,

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our strikes in Tripoli around Sirte and

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the port town of Misrata have

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significantly impacted on the command

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and control capability of the pro

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Gaddafi regime . His supplies of

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ammunition and weapons and his ability

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to launch attacks . In the last few

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days we've engaged and destroyed five

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radar units , 11 surface to air missile

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systems , three rocket launchers , two

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artillery vehicles and several

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ammunition depots as well as commander

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control centers across Libya and I can

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tell you that two nights ago , NATO

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attacked an important sea to bunker .

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This was a complex in Tripoli . We

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successfully hit the targets that we

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were aiming at . This was a known

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Commander control facility control

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facility which have been coordinating

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attacks against the civilian population

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in Gaddafi's own hometown of Sirte .

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The rows and rows of ammunition bunkers

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that have been resupplying his forces

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in Misrata and BRega have been

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effectively reduced to rubble ,

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reducing his troops capacity to attack

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and more specifically diminishing their

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will to fight NATO and the

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coalition will hit Pro Gaddafi forces

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hard when they are engaged in attacking

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civilians supporting such attacks or

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coordinating these attacks . NATO's

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intent is to convince them to stop

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their immoral and illegal activity .

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This campaign is not about the

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attrition of pro Gaddafi resources .

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NATO's goal is not to destroy the pro

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Gadhafi military but to deliver the

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objectives set out by ministers in

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Berlin . For NATO , What is important

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is that attacks on civilians are on the

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decline . Yesterday , NATO had no

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reports at all of shelling in Misrata .

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However , we will maintain the pressure

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until the attacks stopped for good . It

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is not over yet and our strikes will

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continue day and night until NATO

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objectives have been achieved .

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Moving to the maritime operations at

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sea NATO and coalition vessels continue

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to enforce the embargo and our assets

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have successfully maintained safe route

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for humanitarian assistance into

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Misrata . We note that ships providing

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humanitarian aid , evacuating refugees

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are conducting commercial trade are

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entering and leaving the port .

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Specifically , we are aware of more

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than 20 ships freely entering the port

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in the last 72 hours . Make no

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mistake , suspicious vessels will be

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stopped . They will be searched and if

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deemed to be in violation of the

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embargo . They will be investigated and

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dealt with NATO ships are consistently

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monitoring suspicious vegetables

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potentially carrying arms or

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mercenaries . There are a total of 20

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ships under NATO command which are

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actively patrolling the central

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Mediterranean Since the beginning of

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the arms embargo operation . A total of

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905 vessels have been hailed , 37

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vessels boarded and five have been

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diverted and redirected .

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Additionally , in accordance with the

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safety of lives at sea , the Solis

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Convention , all NATO ships will

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maintain a constant lookout for vessels

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in distress , captives , and ships will

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follow international law and

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responsibilities in rendering

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assistance to any known ship to be in

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distress . Furthermore , NATO is

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working with the maritime authorities

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of neighboring countries and with the

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commercial sippy shipping industry in

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order to spot and assist vessels

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whenever necessary . And in fact , I'm

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able to tell you today that we have had

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information that a NATO ship yesterday

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encountered a vessel in distress .

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There were approximately 150 people on

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the vessel . NATO provided food , fuel

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and mechanical assistance to that

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vessel and then they handed the

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incident over to the Regional Command

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center for further assistance to be

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delivered . NATO then continued with

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its embargo operation . Finally , I

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wish to reiterate that all NATO and

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coalition targets are military in

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nature and have been positively

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identified as constituent parts of the

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pro Gadhafi regime's attacks on the

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libyan population and populated areas .

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Every strike is necessary , legal and

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executed to ensure civilian casualties

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are minimized to the fullest possible

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extent in some , this is a

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complex campaign with a coherent

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strategy to disrupt and destroy the

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ability of Gaddafi's forces to inflict

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harm on the people of Libya every day .

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Every strike makes a difference that

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concludes the operational update . I'm

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happy to take questions .

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Mm .