LONDON: US Secetary of State Hillary Clinton told sky News that any decision to impose a no-fly zone over battle-torn Libya should be taken by the United Nations and “not the United States”,.
“I think it’s very important that it is not a US-led effort because this comes from the people of Libya themselves,” Clinton said. “We think it is important that the United Nations make that decision.
“This doesn't come from the outside. This doesn’t come from some Western power or some Gulf country. This is what you should do.”
The United States came in for severe international criticism when it invaded Iraq in 2003, an action which Kofi Annan, the then secretary general of the United Nations, said “was not in conformity with the UN Charter”.
“We’d like to see this resolved peacefully, we’d like to see Moamer Qadhafi go peacefully and we’d like to see a new government come peacefully,” explained Clinton.
“If that’s not possible we are going to work with the international community, but there are countries that do not agree with that.
“There is long road ahead for being able to resolve this,” warned Clinton.
Fighting intensified in the north Africa country Tuesday as pro-Qadhafi forces launched air and rocket attacks on rebels in Zawiya, sources in the town said.
“We’ve called for Qadhafi to leave and he has totally given up any legitimacy to power. When a leader turns against his own people that is the end,” stated Clinton.
The UN Security Council Tuesday discussed the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone during talks on the turmoil sweeping North Africa, a UN official confirmed.
“There were lots of issues that were discussed this morning, the no-fly zone was one of the issues,” UN under secretary general Lynn Pascoe told reporters after briefing the 15-nation Security Council.
“There was a very serious, a very much inter-active discussion on the various issues involved and the role of the council and the role of the secretariat,” he added.
Clinton’s remarks echoed earlier comments from British Foreign Secretary William Hague.
“There must be a demonstrable need that is accepted broadly by the international community, as well as the strong international support that would come from that,” Hague said.
Earlier Tuesday, US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to plan a “full spectrum of responses” on Libya, including a no-fly zone, surveillance and a relief effort, Cameron’s Downing Street office said.
