Sweden will keep five Gripen figherts in Libya. Photo: Sergeant Johan Lundahl / Combat Camera / Försvarsmakten / Scanpix.
Libyan civil war
Sweden extends Libyan mission
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Published fredag 17 juni 2011 kl 15.12
The Swedish Parliament voted today to extend the country's mission in Libya by 90 days. The deal means Swedish fighter planes will fly surveillance flights, rather than maintaining the no-fly zone in that country.
"The Swedish government is taking an unequivocal stand that it is time that Muammar Kadaffi and his closest allies disappear from Libya," said Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, to Swedish Radio.
The ruling alliance, together with the Social Democrats and the Green party, reached an agreement last week to prolong Sweden's operations in Libya.
The left party and Sweden democrats voted against the plan.
"We say that this operation is moving more from protecting civilians to running an open war against the regime in Tripoli with the goal to have a regime change," said Hans Linde, the Left party foreign affairs spokesperson.
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