Politics Libya No-Fly Zone Approved By U.N. Security Council

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Libya No-Fly Zone Approved By U.N. Security Council

March 17, 2011

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council on Thursday approved a no-fly zone over Libya and authorized "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from attacks by Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

The action came as the Libyan leader was poised to make a final push against rebels holding out in Bengazhi, Libya's second largest city.

The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0 with five abstentions, including Russia and China.

The United States, France and Britain had pushed for speedy approval.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said if the resolution was approved, France would support military action against Gadhafi within hours. The U.S. said it was preparing for action. Several Arab nations were expected to provide backup.

Gadhafi vowed to launch a final assault on Benghazi and crush the rebellion as his forces advanced toward the city and warplanes bombed its airport Thursday.
Gadhafi said in an interview broadcast Thursday on Portuguese public broadcaster Radiotelevisao Portuguesa that he rejected any U.N. threats of action.

"The U.N. Security Council has no mandate," Gadhafi said. "We don't acknowledge their resolutions."

He warned that any military action would be construed as "colonization without any justification" and would have "grave repercussions."

The text of the resolution calls on nations to "establish a ban on all flights in the airspace of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in order to help protect civilians."

It also authorizes U.N. member states to take "all necessary measures ... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory."

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/17/libya-no-fly-zone-un-united-nations_n_837378.html

 

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India Abstains as UNSC Votes No-Fly Zone Over Libya

Betwa Sharma/United Nations | Mar 18, 2011

UN Security Council has approved a no-fly zone over Libya as it passed a resolution authorising "all necessary measures" for protecting civilians there from Mummar Gaddafi's forces.

Ten of the 15-member body voted in favour of the resolution which impose a no-fly zone and allow for bombing of targets inside the country.

China and Russia, which have veto power abstained from voting. Among the non-permanent members, India, Germany and Brazil also abstained.

"We cannot let these war-mongers do this," Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, told the Security Council. "We have very little time... We should not arrive too late."

The resolution excludes "a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory," at it rules out deploying troops on the ground.

The current resolution also calls for an immediate ceasefire.

After two days of consultations, the decision has been reached as the Libyan leader was poised to make a final push against rebels holding out in Bengazhi, Libya's second largest city. "We are coming tonight," Gaddafi has told rebel forces. "There won't be any mercy."

Last week, the Arab League called for a no-fly zone to be established in Libya. The resolution, co-authored by Britain and France, was tabled by Lebanon on Tuesday.

"Today’s resolution puts the weight of the Security Council squarely behind the Libyan people," Mark Lyall Grant, the UK envoy to the UN, said.

source: http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?715492