NATO delays formal decision on Libya mission

BRUSSELS - NATO ambassadors have postponed their meeting from Wednesday to Friday to make a formal decision on when to end the Libya mission, an official said.

The official told Xinhua by phone that the scheduled meeting on Wednesday has been postponed to Friday, without giving any reason.

NATO's decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, made a preliminary decision last Friday to wind down the mission until the end of this month, and a formal decision is expected to be made this week.

The alliance would consult closely with the United Nations and the National Transitional Council while making a final decision, NATO officials said.

However, the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) on Tuesday asked NATO to continue its mission in the oil-rich North African country "at least for one more month".

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday in Japan that NATO may not end its mission in Libya as quickly as expected.