Sarkozy says Europeans "doing the work" in Libya

French President Nicolas Sarkozy rejected on Friday criticism of Europe's role in the Libyan war effort by outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and insisted Washington's allies were "doing the work."
Gates made his criticism of European firepower during a speech in Brussels this month, in the run-up to a U.S. House of Representatives' vote due as early as Friday on a proposal to cut off funds for U.S. hostilities in Libya.
"It was particularly inappropriate for Mr. Gates to say that and, what is more, completely false, given what is going on in Libya," Sarkozy told reporters at an EU summit in Brussels.
"There are certainly other moments in history when he could have said that, but not when Europeans have courageously taken the Libyan issue in hand and when France and Britain, with their allies, for the most part, are doing the work."
NATO states agreed on March 27 to take control of military operations in Libya, a move partly aimed at allowing the United States to take a lower-profile role.
In a June 10 speech that tapped into U.S. resentment of what it perceives as Europe's lack of military muscle, Gates said the Libyan effort had further exposed limitations.
Gates, who is due to retire at the end of the month, said the United States was having to make up shortages of munitions and warned that the transatlantic NATO alliance risked being a "collective military irrelevance."
"I think his retirement may have led him to not examine the situation in Libya very closely because, whatever people want to say, I don't have the impression that the Americans are doing the bulk of the work in Libya," said Sarkozy.
U.S. lawmakers are set to debate a proposal to ban funding for U.S. participation in combat missions such as drone attacks in the NATO-led air war, according to Republicans.
A vote is likely on Friday. It is unclear if the measure can pass and Senate approval is unlikely. But criticism has been building in Congress, especially in the Republican-led House, of U.S. involvement in the Libya campaign and President Barack Obama's refusal to ask Congress for its consent.

taken from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/24/us-libya-sarkozy-idUSTRE75N38P20110624