NO-FLY ZONE IMPOSED:EUROPEAN AND US forces said they had successfully imposed a no-fly zone over Libya after a series of air and missile strikes, but the multinational coalition suffered a setback when the Arab League chief condemned the "bombardment of civilians".
As French, American and British warplanes continued to target Muammar Gadafy’s air defences and armour, the defence ministry in Paris said its 15 jets in Libyan airspace yesterday encountered no opposition in enforcing the no-fly zone.
The chairman of the US military’s joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said the aerial blockade had effectively been “put in place”.
However, the first sign of strain in the coalition of states that support the UN-mandated action in Libya emerged yesterday when Arab League president Amr Moussa called for an emergency meeting of the group of 22 states.
He requested a report into the bombardment, which he said had “led to the deaths and injuries of many Libyan civilians”.
“What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians,” Egypt’s official state news agency quoted Mr Moussa as saying.
Arab support for the UN security council resolution was crucial to its adoption last week, and western allies have stressed that regional powers will have a central role in halting attacks on Libyan civilians by Col Gadafy’s forces.
As the military build-up continued at bases in the Mediterranean yesterday, French foreign minister Alain Juppé said the operations would continue until the Libyan regime accepted the UN resolution and agreed to a ceasefire. Asked if the military operation was meant to remove Col Gadafy from power, Mr Juppé said: “No. The plan is to help Libyans choose their future.”
French aircraft fired the first shots of the intervention on Saturday, destroying tanks and armoured vehicles near Benghazi.
Paris also sent an aircraft carrier towards Libya and its aircraft were over the country again yesterday, while Britain said its aircraft had targeted Libya’s air defences mainly around the capital, Tripoli.
The US has portrayed France and Britain as the lead actors in imposing the no-fly zone, but American forces played a significant role in early efforts to knock out Libya’s air defence systems.
Between them, US and British warships and submarines launched 110 Tomahawk missiles on Saturday night into yesterday morning against air defences around Tripoli and Misrata, US military officials said.
The strikes against Col Gadafy’s forces began shortly after the conclusion of an emergency meeting attended by the prime ministers or foreign ministers of more than a dozen countries in Paris on Saturday. The countries represented included France, the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, Jordan, the Netherlands, Greece, Norway, Italy, Qatar, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Belgium, Spain and Poland.
Mr Moussa of the Arab League was present, as were UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, European council president Herman Van Rompuy and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
“Those taking part agreed to put in place all necessary means, especially military, to enforce the decisions of the United Nations Security Council,” French president Nicolas Sarkozy said after the meeting at the Élysée Palace.
German chancellor Angela Merkel, who had been sceptical about plans for a no-fly zone, said her country would not take part in the intervention “in military terms” but would take on additional responsibilities in Afghanistan to relieve pressure on Nato forces.
She said the UN resolution must be put into effect and called for a comprehensive oil embargo “because this would hit the Libyan regime hard”.
Meanwhile, Italy signalled a radical change in policy on Libya when defence minister Ignazio La Russa said it would place no caveats on the use made of the eight fighter aircraft that Italy has contributed to a Naples-based coalition operation centre.
Ten days ago, Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini had said that it could not take part in any military action in Libya, given its colonial past in the north African country.
The change of policy was enough to prompt the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, to reassure Italians yesterday, telling them that Col Gadafy “does not have the military means to hit us”.
Making his first specific reference to the Libyan crisis yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI told pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that he was following events there with “trepidation and fear” and called for those with responsibility to ensure the safety and security of civilians.
Additional reporting from Paddy Agnew in Rome