General Mood: Time has come to consider a no-fly zone in Syria

Major General Robert Mood, the former head of the United Nations monitoring mission (UNSMIS) in Syria has said, "I believe the time has come to consider a no-fly zone." Speaking to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Mood made a call to the international community to consider imposing a no-fly zone in the country and added, "I believe the time has come to consider a no-fly zone. But it is useless to consider a no-fly zone unless you think beyond it." Mood also supported the call by President of the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces, Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib for Nato's Patriot missiles to be used to defend rebel-controlled areas of northern Syria and stated, I have come to the conclusion there has to be levelling on the playing field. To level the playing field in military terms would be to consider no-fly zones - to consider whether the Patriot missiles in Turkey could have a role also in taking on some responsibility for the northern part of Syria." Norwegian officer Mood was the head of UNSMIS until 20 July 2012.