UK is "spreading its forces very thin" and a political resolution in Libya must be found quickly, a former armed forces chief has told peers.
Lord Stirrup said that Afghanistan used up most military resources and what was left was being used in Libya.
There could be "severe consequences" if there was a crisis involving Iran, for example, he told a Lords debate.
The UK, France and US have carried out strikes on Col Gaddafi's forces in Libya, aimed at protecting civilians.
Nato has now taken command of aerial operations in Libya, which followed a UN resolution backing a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" short of an occupying force to protect Libyan civilians, following violence after an uprising against Col Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule.
But several peers with military backgrounds used Friday's debate to raise concerns about the pressures on British forces, at a time of defence spending cuts.
Lord Stirrup, chief of the defence staff between 2006 and 2010, told peers that while it had been pushed off the front pages - Afghanistan continued to use up most British military resources.
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