Margaret Besheer | United Nations March 17, 2011
Photo: AFP
The United Nations Security Council during a meeting at UN headquarters in New York, March 17, 2011
The U.N. Security Council will vote Thursday evening on a resolution that could authorize a No-Fly Zone over Libya, as concern grows for civilians caught in fighting between forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi and rebel fighters.
Ambassadors met in the early part of the day to go over the draft resolution written by Lebanon, France and Britain that aims to establish the No-Fly Zone requested by the Arab League.
Diplomats said some changes were made, but language authorizing states to take "all necessary measures" to enforce the ban on flights remained. Those measures could include targeted air strikes on Libyan military defenses. But the text excludes the possibility of an "occupation force”"
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé is due at the United Nations for the vote. His ambassador, Gerard Araud told reporters that Juppé’s presence is indicative of the importance Paris places on this resolution.
"It [Juppe’s participation] is to show the importance that my country is attaching to this resolution, which means a strong reaction of the Security Council to the tragedy in Libya," he said.
Araud said he does not expect the vote to be unanimous. But only nine of the Security Council’s 15 members are required to vote in favor, with no vetoes, for the measure to be adopted.
Another diplomat said he expected there would be a lot of phone calls between leaders ahead of the vote in a bid to get the most votes possible.
In addition to the call for the ban on flights, the resolution also seeks to expand and strengthen sanctions imposed by the council nearly three weeks ago in Resolution 1970. The additional measures would include freezing the assets of more individuals and entities, expanding a travel ban, tightening enforcement of an arms embargo and preventing the flow of foreign mercenaries into Libya.
By the time they get it done, it will be too late. Probably a lot of people dead.
Please impose no fly Zone even additional sanction it is not far to kill people by fighter jet and we should not watch quietly when history repeat like Rwanda. Just imagine some body kill you family member of you !! This msg is for stupid leader from China & Russia
You yanks support oil theft and do not care about democracy at all. What is happening in Libya right now is DEMOCRATIC... Gadhaffi with his 70 percent support base is busy restoring peace and can do without NWO interference and false media reports Did we not learn from Iraq? Apparantly not!
How can you in good conscience wait? Hurry up and vote so more innocent children and people do not DIE!!!!!!!!!
Good. Our foreign policy from henceforth on is scrapped if we don't manage to get air strikes going. In that event, American "support" and saying "dictators must leave" = nothing. Of course, if the UN doesn't play ball, we NEED to do it with NATO, the Arab League and the. We also can't perpetually bind our foreign policy to the approval of China and Russia. That would be extraordinarily counter-realpolitik. Plus, those poor brave people, we can't let them suffer like that
they will not do it...s/b done already..to bad...missed an opportunity to correct a major problem in the area...
DID OBAMA HELP GADDHAFI TO WIN? It looks like, Obama who had said 3 weeks ago that "Gaddhafi must leave, he is not acceptable" but after meeting with Hillary he kept his mouth shut and allowed Gaddhafi to do whatever he can do to consolidate his position. Also, it helped Saudi to use their might in Bahrain sending thousands of his troops only to suppress the uprising. Other thugs are also openly using their military power to keep their regime intact.
Just in time to be too late
How many more people are going to die before we fire back. No fly zones are not going to do a thing. He must be treated with the same attack that he has used on his very own people...fire power, and do it now...
The Arab world wants the west to help with the situation in Libya. But last time we did help an Arabic country, we ended up being accuse of imperialism. This time let's not make the same mistake. Yes, we need a diplomatic front, but not another military front.
These people dont seem easily rushed. While theyreanaling the minutia Kaddafi ia on an all out full court press to get his men into Benghazi. If wr scrambled all we could dust off right now, the whole thing could be won in a day or two with zero cas youalties. Nope, they have to fig yoyoU re out how the u.s. Can help without looking oily. Oops, kaddafi npw occoccupies benhhazi and the entire war nust turned into baghdad high casualties
Western countries seems to have not learn much from it's lesson in Iran, Iraq and others they now wants to meddle again in Libya? If a rebellion occurs in France, will government just fold up since they too might likely be facing a no fly zone imposed by others?
If the Arab League wants Qadhafi stopped, why don't they do it themselves? Egypt supports the no-fly zone and is lavishly equipped with American military hardware. They could stop Qadhafi in his tracks if they really wanted to. If other Arab states are unwilling to sacrifice their young men to save the lives of other Arabs, why should the US have to? Just curious?
Why does the Arab League insist that American enforce the No-Fly zone thereby endangering the lives of American pilots and navigators? The Arab League has thousands of fighter jets. If the Arab League really believes that the Libyan rebels should be protected against Gadhafi's jets and tanks, then the Arab countries should defend them.
Will we ever learn from history? I guess not if we go in, yet again, to another country across the ocean to try and influence outcomes. Anbody thinking about costs human and financial? I guarantee more deaths with an escalated war. Let the eastern hemisphere take care of itself. Libya is France and Italy's baby.
You hate us when we act, you hate us when we don't. The world is a fickle place. We are the only ones able to stabilize world security. Allow us our deliberations before jumping to action. You can look to Iraq for an example of not carefully considering our actions.
Fool me once in Iraq and Afghanistan, shame on you. Fool me twice in Libya, SHAME ON ME.
For America to step in now, it would require ground troops, air power, and a full blown offensive to even drive Gaddhafi back to his capital city, and a long term occupation to keep him there! And what do we gain from this? Absolutely nothing! In fact we lose because the rebels in Saudi Arabia will be asking for help next! I say if it's Arab against Arab, don't get involved!
The world sat on their hands and watched while the Japanese were slaughtering Chinese like they were animals. That said, it is all the more painful to see China letting this happen to other countries
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