World Grapples For Response In Libya

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World Grapples For Response In Libya

February 24, 2011
By RFE/RL

International momentum is building for action against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s regime for a protest crackdown that has killed hundreds in more than a week.

In particular, the prospect of slapping sanctions and the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya are being raised.

In his first televised response since Muammar Qaddafi called on his supporters to "exterminate" demonstrators, who he said were "cockroaches and rats," U.S. President Barack Obama promised to deploy a "full range of options" to halt "outrageous" attacks on protesters.

"The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous, and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms, and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop," Obama said.

Tempered Response

Some in Washington have criticized Obama for not speaking out sooner against Qaddafi's crackdown.

But U.S. officials say they have tempered their response to ensure that thousands of U.S. citizens in Libya can be safely evacuated.

Seeking to corral international action on Libya, Obama said that it was "imperative" for countries to speak with one voice.

He also said he would send Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Geneva for a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, which France said is discussing a resolution "strongly condemning" the violence in Libya.

Speaking to reporters at UN headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made a similar call international unity to respond to the crisis.

"We view the recent events in Libya with particularly grave concern. The current situation is unpredictable and could go in any number of directions, many of them dangerous. At this critical juncture, it is imperative that the international community maintain its unity and act together to ensure a prompt and peaceful transition," Ban said.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting that ended with a statement condemning the crackdown, expressing "grave concern" and calling for an "immediate end to the violence" and steps to address the legitimate demands of the Libyan people.

The 15-nation council, which includes China and Russia, also called for action against those responsible for the bloodshed. But diplomats said a formal resolution requiring UN action was not immediately likely.

Meanwhile, the UN has stripped Qaddafi's daughter Aisha of her role as a goodwill ambassador.

The Arab League barred Libya from attending meetings of the bloc until it ends its violent crackdown on protesters, which it said involved violations of human rights and international laws.

Debate Over Sanctions

The Libyan government's use of excessive force against civilians was also strongly criticized by Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, an umbrella organization representing 57 Muslim states.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim state, demanded the United Nations take action to restore security and prevent a spike in oil prices.

Differences among countries over how to proceed, some driven by concern not to jeopardize the safety of thousands of foreigners caught up in an increasingly unstable situation, appear to limit prospects for immediate international action.

Over a dozen countries, including Russia, China, and Ukraine, have sent planes in to help their citizens escape Libya.

After a meeting of EU ambassadors, the bloc did not announce sanctions. But its foreign-policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said the EU stood "ready to take further measures" beyond suspending talks on a bilateral deal.

Diplomats said sanctions could include an assets freeze, a travel ban, an arms embargo, and the legal pursuit of those involved in violent repression.

French Defense Minister Alain Juppe told France Inter radio that the international community had a "duty" to intervene to protect Libya's population from its own government.

"That's what the Security Council did in a very clear statement. That's what the European Union did," Juppe said. "We're currently working on financial, commercial, and political sanctions measures, which could be taken."

The British government has already revoked arms-export licenses to Libya, but an agreement on a package of sanctions could take weeks.

Some governments, including Italy, warn of economic consequences if sanctions are imposed.

Sanctions are also opposed by Turkey, whose prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told the AFP news agency that such measures would "punish the people" rather than the government.

Libya has had sanctions imposed on it for a decade when it was regarded as a pariah state by the United States and other Western countries, before they were lifted in 2003.

Speaking to RFE/RL, Andrew Stroehlein, communications director for the International Crisis Group, called for an immediate assets freeze.

"There's no reason that targeted sanctions against Qaddafi and his family could not be enacted by individual countries or, say, on the European Union level, really right away," Stroehlein says. "In terms of asset freeze, these things can happen quite quickly. That is a matter, really, of days."

Another proposal gaining some traction was for the United Nations to declare a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent it using warplanes to hit protesters.

U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley has acknowledged that the international process involved would be challenging.

Speaking in Kyiv, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance had no plans to intervene in Libya, and any action would anyway require the go-ahead from the United Nations.

There have also been calls to establish an international commission of inquiry into alleged crimes against humanity in Libya.

The French Foreign Ministry said, "All possible actions must be examined, including getting international justice involved," in apparent reference to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Given that Libya was not a signatory to the Rome Statute establishing the court, the Libyan authorities would have to accept its jurisdiction. In the absence of such step, the UN Security Council can decide to refer the situation to the court.

with agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/world_grapples_for_response_in_libya/2319530.html

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World Grapples For Response In Libya