NATO to end Libya mission

BRUSSELS, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday with the death of strongman Moammar Gadhafi, the military alliance can end its mission in Libya.

NATO has been providing air support for forces that ousted Gadhafi as part of a U.N. resolution calling on NATO to protect Libyan civilians from elements loyal to Gadhafi.

Gadhafi was shot to death Thursday as rebels solidified their hold on the country, overwhelming the last of the loyalists in Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte.

In a statement on the NATO Web site, Rasmussen said the alliance would work with Libya's National Transitional Council to wind down its mission.

"NATO and its partners have successfully implemented the United Nations mandate to protect the people of Libya," Rasmussen said. "We will terminate our mission in coordination with the United Nations and the National Transitional Council."