Support for Libya 'No Fly' Zone Teeters
VOA News March 15, 2011
World powers are looking towards economic measures to ease the crisis in Libya while the option of imposing a "no-fly" zone over the country remains under discussion at the U.N.
A Group of Eight (G8) ministers' meeting in Paris urged the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday to put additional pressure on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to get him to resign. However, the group stopped short of following the Arab League's lead and voicing support for a "no-fly" zone.
Diplomats said Tuesday the G8 foreign ministers would ask the U.N. to use economic measures to pressure Gadhafi.
Earlier, France and Britain encountered resistance in their efforts to get the group to back the flight restrictions over Libya.
Meanwhile, Security Council diplomats say a "no-fly" zone resolution will probably be circulated to the full council later Tuesday.
The diplomats say Britain, France, Lebanon and Germany are working on the text of the measure. They say it will be a two-part resolution that shows Arab support for the flight restrictions along with European support for tougher sanctions on Libya.
On Saturday, the 22-member Arab League agreed to ask the U.N. Security Council to authorize a "no-fly" zone.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks with representatives of Libya's opposition National Council on the sidelines of the G8 meeting. U.S. officials say Clinton agreed to consider the group's request for foreign assistance after her meeting with Mahmoud Jebril on Monday.
The G8 includes Italy, Canada and Japan, in addition to France, Britain, Russia, Germany and the U.S.
Separately, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Western powers against imposing a "no-fly" zone over Libya. In an interview with a Spanish television station, he said foreign military intervention would worsen the situation in Libya.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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