ROME: Italy has offered use of its military bases for UN-backed forces operating a no-fly zone over Libya, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was quoted as saying Saturday.
"Italy, for the moment, places its bases at the disposition (of the UN-backed military action) and through our coordination of operations we may be asked to make our assets available also," Berlusconi told journalists in Paris.
"As to the moment when Italy could play a direct part in military operations, we are still hoping that given the position taken by the West and in the Arab world, the Libyan regime might go back on its position."
He said that coordination of the UN-backed operation to stop Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi attacking his own people would probably be done from the NATO base in Naples.
Berlusconi was speaking after taking part in a Paris summit of leaders planning action against Libya, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Aircraft movements were seen at several airbases across Italy Saturday.
The ANSA news agency said three AWACS surveillance aircraft were ready to take off from Trapani in western Sicily where Tornado anti-defence and anti-radar and fighter aircraft and Eurofighter combat planes joined them.
Six Danish F-16 aircraft arrived at another base in Sicily and US planes are expected in the north of Italy.
A Canadian military aircraft arrived at Trapani bringing to eight the number of Canadian planes there.
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