Libyan rebels have been battling Col Gaddafi's forces along the country's northern coast Foreign ministers from Nato countries are meeting in Berlin, amid differences among members over the air campaign to protect civilians in Libya.
The UK and France have been pushing for other countries to increase military pressure on Col Muammar Gaddafi.Air strikes led by the US, France and Britain began last month. Nato has since taken leadership of the mission.
Several key member countries, including Spain and Italy, have not taken part in attacks on ground targets.
Tasks in Nato's Libya mission include policing the arms embargo with ships and enforcing the UN-backed no-fly zone.
The UK and France want more countries involved in the most aggressive role, that of attacking targets on the ground.
Only six out of Nato's 28 members - France, the UK, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Denmark - are conducting air strikes.
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For Nato this is both the best of times and the worst of times. After some hesitation on the part of the French, command of the Libya operation was transferred to the alliance, thus assuring its role as the pre-eminent military sub-contractor in the world.
But the alliance is much more than just a conductor of the military orchestra. It is above all a diplomatic body providing the political will, rationale and determination to conduct a given operation. And here Nato's members have been found wanting.
This was an unusual crisis from the outset, since it was really two countries - Britain and France - that made the running.
But leaving the Europeans in pole position meant problems. Only six members are actually conducting strike missions.
Inevitably, reluctance in some quarters and differing degrees of involvement send out a signal suggesting a lack of resolve and uneasiness about how this mission might end.
Analysis
But the alliance is much more than just a conductor of the military orchestra. It is above all a diplomatic body providing the political will, rationale and determination to conduct a given operation. And here Nato's members have been found wanting.
This was an unusual crisis from the outset, since it was really two countries - Britain and France - that made the running.
But leaving the Europeans in pole position meant problems. Only six members are actually conducting strike missions.
Inevitably, reluctance in some quarters and differing degrees of involvement send out a signal suggesting a lack of resolve and uneasiness about how this mission might end.
There are divisions within the alliance over the campaign, with Turkey and Germany opposed to the Libya mission.
Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez on Thursday said her country would continue to help police the no-fly zone and arms embargo, but reiterated that it would not send combat aircraft to Libya.Although Italy is also refraining from carrying out air strikes, it allows missions to be flown from its territory.
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi, the rebels' stronghold in eastern Libya, says the Berlin meeting must be seen as a diplomatic counter-offensive by Britain and France to try to increase the tempo, in the face of members that are reluctant to do so.
Arming the rebels In his opening address at the Berlin meeting, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen focused on concerns for Libyan civilians.
He said the alliance was "acting with care and precision to maximise the effects of our actions, while minimising the danger to citizens".
On Wednesday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is attending the meeting in Berlin, condemned the "continued brutal attacks on the Libyan people" by Col Gaddafi's forces.
The US has scaled back its role in Libya, though on Wednesday it clarified that its jets were still carrying out bombing raids on Libya's air defences to enforce the no-fly zone.
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Nato role in Libya
- Alliance in full control of military operations since 31 March
- Nato has about 195 aircraft and 18 vessels under its control
- Mission includes enforcing arms embargo, policing no-fly zone, and carrying out attacks on ground targets
- 2,038 sorties flown in two weeks
- Six of 28 Nato members carrying out air strikes
- Members Germany and Turkey oppose military action in Libya
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reiterated Moscow's view that the UN resolution on Libya did not authorise the use of force.
He was speaking at a meeting of the "Brics" group of five emerging nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.After the meeting in China, the five said they shared "the principle that the use of force should be avoided".
The Libya conflict is also being discussed by officials from the African Union and Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Cairo.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Arab League head Amr Moussa are among those attending.
Meanwhile fighting is continuing in rebel-held city of Misrata, in western Libya, which has been besieged by pro-Gaddafi forces for almost two months.
A rebel spokesman told Reuters news agency that an early morning rocket attack by Col Gaddafi's forces had killed 23 people on Thursday.
In a BBC interview, Hardi, a rebel leader in the city, urged Nato to carry out more strikes.
The official said the coalition should have "all the means it needs", and that it should show "total determination" to end the sieges of Misrata and Zintan.
Britain said it was to provide the rebels with 1,000 sets of body armour, and that 100 satellite phones had already been sent.
On Wednesday the "contact group" on Libya, which includes Western powers, their Middle Eastern allies and international organisations, met rebel leaders in Doha, Qatar.
It agreed to continue to provide the rebels with "material support", and to consider channelling funds to them.
