NATO advised on Wednesday that Libyan civilians to keep themselves away from Libyan leader Muammar
Gaddafi's forces to help NATO air strike achieve "greater success."
In a statement posted on NATO's website, Canadian Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, commander of the NATO mission, said that if Libyan civilians stay away from government forces, the NATO air strike on Gaddafi forces and equipment would achieve "greater success" with "the minimum risks to civilians."
NATO acknowledged Tuesday the limitations of the alliance's air campaign in Libya as Gaddafi's forces changed their tactics by hiding their tanks in urban areas and using human shields to avoid air
strikes.
Bouchard said NATO would try the best to reduce the risk to civilians when attacking Libyan targets, "but the risk cannot be reduced to zero."
A stalemate continues on the ground in Libya as the opposition, under the cover of NATO-led air strikes, are locked in a tug-of-war with government forces. The French and Italian governments on Wednesday joined Britain in pledging to send military advisors to assist the opposition.