After over a decade of NATO missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, the top levels of America’s European military alliance are eager to end the Libyan war and to avoid nation-building responsibilities.

“We must end this Libyan business quickly,” one senior military officer told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. “We just cannot afford this proliferation of missions which just drag on and on. One needs to finally end.”

Facing drained resources from the violent quagmire in Afghanistan and potential defense budget cuts as a result of struggling economies, even NATO’s top military brass are weary of empire building in Libya. Many have been arguing for a United Nations peacekeeping force to take over now that Muammar Gadhafi has been ousted.