Thaindian News

Tripoli, March 18 (IANS) The international community Friday began discussing all measures, including military action, against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s forces to enforce a fly ban which was imposed by a UN security council vote despite abstention by India and four other members of the council.

The US and European officials said air attacks against Col. Gaddafi’s forces were possible “within hours”, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

The Pentagon is already fine-tuning military options for “serious” strikes against ground and air targets should the White House order them, the WSJ said quoting US defense officials.

Military strikes against Libya will take place “swiftly” and France will definitely participate, CNN reported quoting government spokesman Francois Baroin as having said in an interview with the RTL radio.

Canada is also sending six fighter jets to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya. The Globe and Mail reported that the six CF-18 aircraft could leave as early as Friday to join an assembling international force, and will be based out of Southern Europe, possibly Italy.

Ottawa will also send between 120 and 200 military personnel to support the planes, the paper said.

The moves came after UN authorised the use of “all necessary measures” to protect civilians in Libya, paving way for air and naval attacks against the forces of Gaddafi as he vowed to recapture Benghazi from rebels, the Washington Post said.

The 15-member Security Council Thursday voted 10-0 to authorise the no-fly zone in the north African country.

While India, China, Brazil, Germany and Russia abstained, the measure was backed by Bosnia, Colombia, France, Gabon, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Britain and the US.

Libya has said it was grateful to the five countries that abstained from voting.

Khalid Kaim, Libyan deputy foreign minister, responded to the resolution by saying: “First of all, we are very grateful for the five countries that abstained, namely China, Russia, India, Brazil and Germany - what a surprise!”

“We also this morning sent a letter to the Secretary General of the UN to give assurances to the international community that we care about our people and we care about the territorial unity of the country,” he was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

Kaim said the Libyan government would “react positively to the UN resolution, and we will prove this willingness while guaranteeing protection to civilians”.

India’s deputy envoy to the UN, Manjeev Singh Puri, said the vote was being taken without any credible information about the ground situation in Libya, where government forces are trying to crush an uprising against Gaddafi, who has been ruling the country for 41 years.

“We do not have clarity about details of enforcement measures, including who and with what asset will participate and how these measures will be exactly carried out,” Puri said, explaining why India had decided to abstain.

“It is of course very important that there is full respect for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Libya,” he added.

Germany said it abstained from the vote because it sees “considerable dangers and risks” in military action.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle Friday defended his country’s decision to abstain in the vote, saying Germany did not want to participate in a war in north Africa.

“We understand those who have decided out of honourable motives in favour of an international military intervention in Libya,” DPA quoted Westerwelle as saying.

“However, after considering the risks, we reached the conclusion that we do not want to participate with German soldiers in a war, a military intervention, in Libya,” the minister added.

The British cabinet was Friday due to hold an emergency meeting to discuss details of the country’s involvement in military action against Libya, another DPA report said.

The UN resolution also stepped up sanctions against Libya, including a freezing of assets of the Central Bank of Libya and the Libyan National Oil Company.

Gaddafi Thursday warned on national radio of a bloodbath in the opposition stronghold of Benghazi if rebels do not give up their arms. Gaddafi threatened to unleash his forces on the eastern Libyan city in a matter of hours.

Gaddafi’s military has also threatened retaliation against forces in the Mediterranean Sea for any foreign intervention in the country.

“All military and civilian air and sea vessels in the Mediterranean Sea will become targets of Libyan retaliation,” a spokesperson for the military told Libyan media.