U.N. Security Council approves no-fly zone in Libya

[captonjohn]

Jubilant Libyan rebels in Benghazi erupted with fireworks and gunfire after the U.N. Security Council voted Thursday evening to impose a no-fly zone and permit "all necessary measures" to protect civilians.

The opposition, with devoted but largely untrained and under-equipped units, has suffered military setbacks this week. It has said such international action was necessary for it to have any chance of thwarting Moammar Gadhafi's imminent assault on the rebel stronghold.

"We're hoping and praying that the United Nations will come up with a very firm and very fast resolution and they will enforce it immediately," said Ahmed El-Gallal, a senior opposition coordinator, before the vote.

"We should not arrive too late," French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said at the U.N.

The resolution was approved with 10 votes, including those of the United States and the United Kingdom.

There were no opposing votes on the 15-member council, but China, Russia, Germany, India and Brazil abstained. Germany said it was concerned about a protracted military conflict.

U.N. member states can "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," according to the resolution.

Moments after the vote, anti-Gadhafi forces in Benghazi broke into cheers, waving flags and chanting. Antiaircraft tracer fire lit up the sky at one rally.
UN approves no-fly zone in Libya
Libyan army pushes forward
Libyan amb. still hopeful for airstrikes
UN okays no-fly zone in Libya

It was not immediately clear just how an international military operation and possible strikes against the Libyan military might unfold. The no-fly zone prohibits Libya's air forces from entering certain zones within the country.

The United States and NATO partners have contingencies in place to act within hours, according to an administration official familiar with planning. President Barack Obama will insist on a major Arab role in any no-fly zone, the official said.

The contingencies include air strikes and cruise missile attacks designed to cripple Libyan air defenses and punish military units leading Gadhafi's push on opposition strongholds in the east, the official said.

Obama called British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy after the vote. The three "agreed that Libya must immediately comply with all terms of the resolution and that violence against the civilian population of Libya must cease," the White House said in a statement.

Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim, speaking in Tripoli, told reporters after the vote that the country will safeguard civilians and its territorial integrity.

He called on the international community to send a fact-finding mission to the African nation but not lend material support to rebels.

Source: CNN

 

[captonjohn]

India abstains on resolution authorising use of force in Libya

India, along with four other members of the UN Security Council, abstained from the voting on a resolution that approves a no-fly zone over Libya and authorises "all necessary measures" for protecting civilians there from Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

Ten of the 15-member body voted in favour of the resolution, but five nations -- China, Russia (which have veto power) and non-permanent members India, Germany and Brazil -- abstained from voting.

"This resolution calls for far-reaching measures but we never got answers to very basic questions," Indian envoy to UN Hardeep Singh Puri said. "This entire exercise has been based on less than complete information."

China's top diplomat in the UN Li Baodong also had similar apprehensions. "Many of those questions failed to be clarified or answered," Li told UNSC after the vote.

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

"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."

But, India and other members of the Council voiced concerns about the absence of specific details on creating a no-fly zone as well as the lack of clarity on the source of assets for its implementation.

"Passing a resolution is an interactive process...if countries have doubts...you try to remove them," Puri said. "I'm afraid that the two countries leading the process (UK and France) did not make the required effort."

Susan Rice, US envoy to the UN, clarified that it was impossible to answer all the questions given that the Council had to act quickly. "We spent many hours going over these issues," she told reporters.

The current resolution also calls for an immediate ceasefire, which Russia had earlier proposed as a smaller resolution. But it never came to a vote because key countries felt that only a ceasefire resolution lacked teeth and would not deter Gaddafi.

Vitaly Churkin, the Russian envoy, warned "outside force" could destabilise the Middle East and North African region and described the resolution as "unfortunate and regrettable."

The action came as the Libyan leader threatened to launch the final attack to push out rebels from Benghazi, the second largest city of the country. "We are coming tonight," Gaddafi has told rebel forces. "There won't be any mercy."

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

It also widens previous sanctions by imposing asset freezes for seven more of Gaddafi's supporters and five more entities including key state-owned Libyan companies.

Resolution 1970, adopted on February 26, slapped sanctions on the Libyan regime, including an arms embargo, an asset freeze and travel ban on Gaddafi and his loyalists, and a referral to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.

However, Manjeev Singh Puri, India's deputy envoy to the UN, told the Security Council the international community had to "mitigate and not exacerbate" the situation, and widening sanctions could hurt the economic interest of the Libyan people.

Meanwhile, media reports from the ground suggested that news of the UN resolution had been welcomed in Benghazi. Celebratory gunfire rang out in the city and imams at mosques shouted "God is greatest, God is greatest."

Ibrahim Dabbashi, Libya's deputy envoy to the UN who had turned against Gadhafi, called for the resolution to be implemented "immediately." But, he did not see his Indian counterpart's concern valid - "It has nothing to do with the Libyan people."

Mark Lyall Grant, the UK envoy to the UN, welcomed the vote and "Today's resolution puts the weight of the Security Council squarely behind the Libyan people."

Grant's sentiment was echoed by Rice who said, "Today the Security Council has responded to the Libyan people's cry for help."

 

[pmaitra]

Yet another thread?

I am already struggling with two threads, plus this has already been posted.

 

[captonjohn]

I didn't understood that why India has abstained from voting when 10 members have voted in favor it including US. India has proved himself weak faded his image in favor of peace and right.

 

[ejazr]

Its really unfortunate that India abstained. The Arab League had approved it, the rebels have called for it, Gaddafi was always known to be a crazy dictator. But by ganging up with China and Russia on this issue, it has made a mistake.

 

[captonjohn]

What a no-fly zone, other Libya measures would mean

The U.N. Security Council on Thursday evening voted to authorize a no-fly zone over Libya and to "take all necessary measures" - without using an occupation force - to protect civilians and population centers under the threat of attack in Libya.

Diplomats warned that action was needed to halt Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's rapid advances against rebel positions in his country.

The broadly worded resolution would seem to leave open the possibility that air forces implementing the no-fly zone may not only prevent Libyan military aircraft from flying, but also target Gadhafi's wider ability to wage war.

"We've been told by diplomats this could certainly indeed move the door so that you have a more of a robust military approach – by the West, by Arab countries – to help the rebels and stop Col. Gadhafi from reaching Benghazi," said CNN's senior U.N. correspondent, Richard Roth.

"The next step is really not here anymore at the U.N. It is going to be decided elsewhere [by U.N. member states] whether there are planes flying and ships moving to counter Col. Gadhafi's military advance," Roth said, adding that it wasn't clear when the establishment of the no-fly zone would happen.

Here is what Thursday's resolution authorizes:

No-fly zone

The authorization establishes a ban on all flights in Libyan airspace to help protect civilians. The exceptions are:

– Flights by U.N. member states for the purpose of enforcing the flight ban

– Humanitarian flights (such as those delivering medical supplies, food and humanitarian workers)

– Any flights "which are deemed necessary" by nations enforcing the no-fly zone.

U.S. military officials have said that a no-fly zone would typically be enforced by fighter jets.

A no-fly zone could cost up to $300 million a week, according to data obtained by CNN's Barbara Starr.

"Protect civilians and civilian populated areas"

In addition to the no-fly zone, the resolution authorizes 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."

However, the resolution prohibits "a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory."

Roth, reporting on CNN and CNN International, said that the exact composition of the nations that would participate wasn't immediately clear. The Arab League's U.N. ambassador, Yahya Mahmassani, said two Arab countries would take part in a no-fly zone operation, but he was not sure which two.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States would not act without a U.N. resolution. The United States has said it wants Arab nations to take part in no-fly zone.

Asked whether France will be involved in strikes against Libya if a resolution was passed, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Thursday at the United Nations that "France is available with others to put the resolution in action, including in this domain."

Germany, one of five nations on the Security Council to abstain from Thursday's vote, said it would not contribute any forces. The other nations that abstained from Thursday's vote were Russia, China, Brazil and India.

 

[captonjohn]

Yet another thread?

I am already struggling with two threads, plus this has already been posted.

I searched such post but couldn't find that's why I posted it. By the way Mods please merge similar posts into one to avoid confusion.

 

[pmaitra]

I searched such post but couldn't find that's why I posted it. By the way Mods please merge similar posts into one to avoid confusion.

Yeah I know, sometimes the search thingy doesn't work that well.

We were already discussing the no-fly zone here: Thread: China preventing UN action on Libya (page 4).

 

[amitkriit]

Its really unfortunate that India abstained. The Arab League had approved it, the rebels have called for it, Gaddafi was always known to be a crazy dictator. But by ganging up with China and Russia on this issue, it has made a mistake.

India has done the right thing, there is only one motive behind west's policies on Libya, that is to install a pro-NATO government in the country dominated by warring tribal groups. Those who think that after Gadhafi there will be a peoples' rule in Libya are daydreaming. No popular uprising is going on inside Libya, its a civil war between various armed groups to grab power. Its good to see Russia, China and India coming together. I hope that the three nations will keep cooperating on the international stage in future.