NATO's chief warned Monday that warplanes will keep pounding Libyan forces as long as civilians are at risk, but he urged a political solution to prevent Libya from becoming a terrorist haven.
"We appreciate all efforts to find a political solution to the problems in Libya, including the African Union initiative," Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after a delegation of African heads of state visiting Libya said Tripoli had accepted a peace plan.
"But secondly I would also like to stress that the guiding principle for us will be how to implement the UN Security Council resolution fully, that is to protect the civilians against any attack," Rasmussen told reporters.
"Our operational tempo will be determined by this clear goal to protect civilians against any attack," he said.
Rasmussen also stressed that any ceasefire "must be credible and verifiable."
Noting that Kadhafi has violated previous ceasefires, he said any cessation of hostilities must be "supervised and controlled effectively" to ensure civilians are protected.
It must facilitate political reforms that will satisfy the people's "legitimate demands," he said.
The delegation of African heads of state met Libyan rebel leaders in their stronghold of Benghazi on Monday to try to sell the peace plan.
But the rebels were demanding that any ceasefire should require the withdrawal of government troops from the streets and freedom of expression.
While NATO has no information of any "significant" Al-Qaeda role in Libya, a protracted war could create a safe haven for terrorists, Rasmussen said.
"It is of course a matter of concern in the longer term perspective if this ends up in a stalemate that eventually could also make Libya a failed state, that could become a breeding ground for terrorists and extremists," he said.
"This is also a reason why I hope to see a political solution to the problems in libya sooner rather than later."
NATO intensified its bombing campaign over the weekend.
Rasmussen said NATO aircraft had flown almost 300 sorties since Saturday, destroying 49 tanks, nine armoured personnel carriers, three anti-aircraft guns and four large ammunition bunkers.
The 28-nation alliance has not received any request from the African Union to stop air strikes against Kadhafi forces under a UN mandate to protect the population, he said.
Rasmussen accused pro-Kadhafi forces of "besieging their own citizens and shelling city centres," as well as hiding tanks near schools and mosques to prevent NATO from bombing them.
"This is utterly irresponsible," he said.
The NATO chief reiterated however that "there can be no solely military solution to the crisis in Libya," saying that a political resolution was needed.
He said it was crucial to ensure that Libya does not end up divided between the Kadhafi-held west and the rebel-controlled east, stressing that any long-term solution should maintain the country's unity.
Rasmussen will attend the second meeting of the international "contact group" in Qatar on Wednesday. The group was created to give political guidance to the campaign in Libya.
He said the group was meeting to provide an international framework for a "lasting settlement" in Libya.
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