Libya Allies Bicker Over Who Will Lead

The coalition policing Libya’s skies is facing an internal conflict, as well: it can’t agree on who will lead the effort going forward. The US is currently in charge, but President Obama has made it clear that he’d like to hand off control. But to who? The US, Britain, and some other nations favor letting NATO take charge, but France has proposed a structure with NATO in a subsidiary role, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“For us, this operation is carried out by a coalition. So it’s not a NATO operation,” France’s foreign minister said, arguing that the Arab League members of the coalition would oppose NATO control. But NATO has agreed to enforce the UN arms embargo on the country; its warships began patrolling the coast today. Coalition nations also haven't decided what they'll do if rebels fail to oust Moammar Gadhafi quickly, with each offering differing opinions on the campaign’s end goal. (More NATO stories.)