Friday, March 11, 2011

Libya: EU leaders say Muammar Gaddafi must go

 51644430 011502242 1 Libya: EU leaders say Muammar Gaddafi must go Leaders did not rule out a no-fly zone

Leaders of the EU's 27 member states have said Libya's Col Muammar Gaddafi must surrender power.

The EU held an emergency summit in Brussels to try to find a common approach to the crisis.

Leaders agreed to "examine all necessary options" to protect the civilian population in Libya.

But there was no agreement on the specific idea of a no-fly zone, with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, for one, saying she was sceptical.

British and French leaders had wanted the summit to draw up plans to prepare to help the Libyan rebellion, including the possibility of the no-fly zone.

This would prevent pro-Gaddafi troops launching attacks from the air – currently the primary advantage the regime's troops have as they push back the rebel forces.

The rebels had captured many eastern towns in recent weeks in an uprising that followed protests inspired by the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia.

No-fly debate

The no-fly zone option was not expressed in the joint declaration, although it was also not ruled out.

"In order to protect the civilian population, member states will examine all necessary options, provided that there is a demonstrable need, a clear legal basis and support from the region," the communique says.

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy said nobody wanted military intervention but "it is clear that Europe is sending a message and did not want to exclude this option".

But this would only happen, he said, with the support of the UN Security Council, the Arab League and the Libyan (rebel) authorities.

Libya in maps Diplomatic optionsIs a no-fly zone possible?

In Washington, President Obama stressed on Friday that a no-fly zone remained a possibility and said: "We are slowly tightening the noose around Gaddafi.

"Let me be as clear as I can about the desired outcome from our perspective, and that is that Gaddafi step down," he told reporters.

"And we're going to continue to work with the international community to try to achieve that and we're going to be in close consultation with these opposition groups, as they get organised, to see how we can bring about that outcome."

EU leaders at the summit expressed political backing for the Libyan National Council, the interim authority set up by rebels in Benghazi, but stopped short of the diplomatic recognition given to the council on Thursday by France.

There was unanimity in Brussels, though, over Col Gaddafi's position.

"The problem has a name: Gaddafi. He must go," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. "We have to intensify our international pressure on the current regime to step down."

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said leaders hoped to hold a joint summit soon with the Arab League and the African Union.

The Arab League is meeting to discuss the Libyan crisis on Saturday. The African Union has already rejected any idea of foreign military intervention in Libya.

Military momentum

The summit came as forces loyal to Col Gaddafi continued to make gains.

There have been more airstrikes on the oil port of Ras Lanuf, with reports of a refinery being hit. Rebels had earlier reported government forces entering the city by boat and in tanks.

The town has been held by anti-Gaddafi forces for several days and rebels still reportedly control the inner city and residential areas.

We've been trying to come here to the town of Zawiya for days now and finally we've been allowed.

As much as they've tried to cover up the devastation with the green flags of the Gaddafi regime and bring in lots of pro-government supporters, they can't hide the fact that there has been a huge battle in this town.

This is a scene of complete devastation. Virtually every building around the square has either been flattened or damaged by heavy gunfire, by heavy artillery fire

The main mosque in front of me is absolutely destroyed, the minaret is in pieces. The buildings just to the side of the minaret are also totally destroyed.

The government forces may have finally won this place back from the rebels but we understand it has come at a very human cost and it has also virtually destroyed the town itself.

Col Gaddafi's regime brought a number of Western journalists to Zawiya on Friday for the first time since it was recaptured from the rebels.

The city, 30 miles (48km) west of Tripoli, was bombarded for days by government forces and reporters described scenes of devastation and streets that were deserted except for government supporters who had been brought in.

Reuters also reported strikes at Uqaylah and another bombing further east near Brega.

Thousands of people gathered in Benghazi after Friday prayers outside the courthouse, which has become the headquarters of the rebel council.

The BBC's Pascal Harter in the city said vast crowds of people wearing the colours of the old Libyan flag were on the streets.

The head of the council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, told the BBC the rebels needed not only a no-fly zone but a sea embargo, weapons, and humanitarian assistance for the cities which have been besieged by Col Gaddafi's forces.

In a TV interview on Thursday, Col Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam warned rebels in Benghazi that government troops were on their way.

In other developments:

Gulf Arab states said the Gaddafi regime was illegitimate, and urged that contact be made with the rebels US President Barack Obama's top intelligence adviser James Clapper predicted government forces would defeat the rebels The BBC News website appears to have been blocked by the Libyan authorities The International Committee of the Red Cross said that Libya had now descended into civil war

New EU economic sanctions against Libya come into force on Friday, targeting the country's sovereign wealth fund and central bank.

The Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) wealth fund holds about $70bn (43bn) and has stakes in a number of large European companies.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said on Friday that extra sanctions could include freezing the assets of Libyan oil and gas producer and exporter companies.