Italy agrees to participate in NATO bombing missions in Libya

The Italian air force will play a greater role in NATO’s air strike campaign in Libya, according to statement from the office of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Italian airplanes will not be permitted to bomb military targets in Libya, something they did not do before. Previously, Italy said it would not participate on NATO air strikes.

Apparently, Berlusconi informed U.S. President Barack Obama of his government’s decision in a telephone conversation.

Earlier today, a strike by NATO severely damaged buildings at the Bab al-Azizia compound of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, Russia – which abstained from the vote at the UN which established the no-fly zone over Libya -- has warned that military intervention by NATO may do more harm than good across the Middle East.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that since Western nations has allied themselves with Libyan factions, opposition groups in other Arab countries may now expect US and Europe to help overthrow their regimes.

This creates a very dangerous mood, Lavrov said.

Unfortunately, it is probably contagious and it's popping up amongst protesters in other countries of this region with the hopes that they just need to aggravate the situation and then the international community will come to help, will take their side.

Indeed, France, Britain and Italy have already agreed to send military advisers to Benghazi in eastern Libya to confer with rebel groups who are seeking to topple Gaddafi.