THE UNITED States will impose unilateral and multilateral sanctions on Libya to “make it clear that the regime has to stop its abuse, it has to stop the bloodshed,” president Obama’s press secretary, Jay Carney, said yesterday.
Mr Carney said the sanctions were not intended to bring down Muammar Gadafy’s regime. But, he added, “Colonel Gadafy has lost the confidence of his people.”
He made the announcement hours after all US embassy personnel and their families were evacuated by ferry from Tripoli.
“Given current security conditions in Libya, coupled with our inability to guarantee fully the safety and security of our diplomatic personnel in the country, the Department of State has . . . suspended all embassy operations,” said a US government statement.
The UN secretary general Ban Ki Moon was to report to the Security Council on Libya last night. The meeting was expected to discuss the possibility of UN sanctions.
Amid reports of heavy gunfire on anti-Gadafy protesters in Tripoli, a massive international effort continued to evacuate foreign nationals. More than 3,000 EU nationals remained in the country yesterday.
A European diplomat with knowledge of discussions between the western powers said they were working on the assumption that Mr Gadafy has no intention of standing down and will continue to fight the rebels. This is despite mass defections from his military and his apparent loss of control of more than half the country.
Although many European countries have been reluctant to impose immediate sanctions for fear of reprisals against people trying to flee Libya, EU officials believe there will be sufficient progress in the evacuations to move early next week against the regime. The aim, said European diplomats, was to synchronise EU sanctions with those of the UN.
“His outrageous behaviour in the past few days demands we send him back into the cold,” said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. While senior EU officials have mooted possible military action in contingency plans to deal with the situation, Ms Ashton suggested there were no talks “at this point” about military action.
At an emergency meeting in Geneva of the UN Human Rights Council, Libya’s delegation severed its ties to Mr Gadafy and said it represented the “free will” of the Libyan people. Ireland’s permanent representative to the council told the meeting the regime’s behaviour was completely unacceptable.
“We have been horrified by widespread and persistent reports that live ammunition, snipers and heavy weaponry including fighter jets are being used on the order of Libya’s leaders against their own people,” said Gerard Corr.
Under discussion at the UN in New York is a draft Security Council resolution from France and Britain with measures to target Gadafy family assets and to ban international travel by members of the regime.
The penalties will also include a new arms embargo against Libya but no embargo yet on energy imports from the country. Italy and Britain have been resisting energy restrictions.
Another option to enforce a no-fly zone in Libyan airspace, something which would curtail Mr Gadafy’s room for manoeuvre in the battle against the rebels. This is complicated, however, by the necessity to keep airspace open to facilitate evacuations.
“Such a far-reaching approach would require a very clear international legitimacy and, in particular, a United Nations mandate,” said Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
Mr Rasmussen convened an emergency meeting of the Nato council, saying the military alliance can help “in a pragmatic way” to limit the consequences of the events in Libya.
Britain and France are pressing the Security Council to seek action against Mr Gadafy in the International Criminal Court. Visiting Turkey yesterday, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said Mr Gadafy should stand down.