Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Libya no-fly zone must have UN backing: Hillary Clinton



Tripoli / RAS LANUF, Libya: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it clear Washington believes that any decision to impose no-fly zone over Libya was a matter for the United Nations and should not be a US-led initiative.
On Tuesday, the tanks Muammar Gaddafi and warplanes pounded rebel positions in Zawiyah, the nearest town in the rebel capital, Tripoli.
Rising casualties and the threat of famine and refugee crisis has increased pressure on foreign governments to act, but many feared the transition from the only sanctions to military action.
"We want the international community to support it (the no-fly zone)," Clinton told Sky News. "I think it's very important that this is not a US-led effort."
She said that the United Nations must take a decision on Libya, and not the United States.
"We called for Colonel Qaddafi to leave," she added. "When the leader turns against its own people, that is the end."
President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister, David Cameron has agreed to "general purpose" was an end to violence and the departure of al-Qadhafi, the White House.
In a telephone conversation the two leaders "agreed to press forward with a plan, including NATO, on the whole range of possible responses, including monitoring, humanitarian assistance, enforce an arms embargo and the no-fly zone."
Britain and France seek UN resolution on such a zone on the ground plane Gaddafi and prevent its movement of troops by air. Russia and China who have veto power in UN Security Council, cool to the idea, which would probably require the bombing of Libyan air defenses.
Hafiz Ghoga, spokesman for the rebel National Council of the Libyan, said at a news conference in the rebel base of Benghazi in eastern Libya:
"We will complete our victory, when we are granted a no-fly zone. If it was not as action to stop him (Gaddafi) from the recruitment of mercenaries, it will end within a few hours."
In the besieged Zawiyah, 50 km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, the trapped residents protected from the onslaught of goverenment tanks and planes.
Contacted by telephone on Wednesday night, a resident said Ibrahim told Reuters: ".. Zawiyah as you knew it was no longer there they attacked the city from 10 am to 11:30 pm"

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