WHETHER or not the British base of Akrotiri would be needed to help enforce a no-fly zone over Libya remained unknown last night.
“No decisions have been made yet. The UK is keeping all options open,” a senior British defence official in Cyprus said.
Analysts said the sprawling sovereign military airfield at Akrotiri was an ideal springboard for the 11th hour mission to rein in Col Gaddafi’s bloody counter offensive against outgunned Libyan rebels NATO bases in Sicily, Malta and Crete are closer to Benghazi, the last, densely populated stronghold of his diehard opponents.
But Akrotriri, near Cyprus’s southern coastal tourist resort of Limassol, has the infrastructure and support mechanisms for British military aircraft which train there regularly.
No warplanes are currently stationed at the Cyprus base – nicknamed the “kebab posting” by airmen — defence sources said. But they could be deployed from British airfields within hours.
Aktrotiri already plays a vital role as a staging and supply post for British forces in Afghanistan, as it did in two Gulf wars against Iraq.
But it has never been involved in direct offensive action against another country since the Suez crisis in 1956.
Cypriots view Britain’s two sovereign military bases as an unpopular anachronism. But the island’s government is unlikely to object to RAF Akrotiri enforcing a Libyan no-fly zone because the measure is backed by the UN and Arab League.
British officials said that “in the spirit of co-operation” with Cyprus, a fellow EU member, they would inform the island’s authorities if London plans to use Akrotiri.
Cyprus’ government spokesman, Stefanos Stefanou said last night: “We are in constant contact with London on this, but no decision has been taken yet by the UK on using Akroriti to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.”
Britain retained two sovereign military bases on Cyprus when the island secured independence in 1960. They have helped protect Britain’s oil interests in the Middle East, in part replacing the Suez Canal foothold that was removed by Nasser.
Threatening retaliation, Gaddafi has warned that any foreign attack would endanger air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean.
Pro-Libyan radicals launched botched terrorist attacks on British forces in Cyprus in 1986 after Margaret Thatcher allowed American warplanes to launch air raids against Libya from bases in Britain.
But security at British bases in Cyprus has been dramatically stepped up since the 9/11 attacks on the US.
