US threatens Libyan air strikes
Source: Agencies |
March 18, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
LIBYAN government soldiers battled rebels on the road to the insurgent stronghold of Benghazi yesterday as the United States raised the possibility of air strikes to stop Moammar Gadhafi's forces.
But the international debate on what action to take may have dragged on too long to help the anti-Gadhafi uprising, now struggling to hold its ground one month after it started.
Clashes around Ajdabiyah, a strategic town on the coastal highway, hampered the government advance on Benghazi, but the army warned citizens it had the city in its sights and people should leave rebel-held locations.
The US, previously cool on the idea of a foreign military intervention, said the United Nations Security Council should consider tougher action than a no-fly zone over Libya.
"We are discussing very seriously and leading efforts in the Council around a range of actions that we believe could be effective in protecting civilians," US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said.
"The US view is that we need to be prepared to contemplate steps that include but perhaps go beyond a no-fly zone."
Diplomats at the UN said that the US, Britain and France now supported the idea of the Security Council authorizing military action such as airstrikes to protect civilian areas.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she hoped the security council would vote "no later than Thursday."
Saying that Gadhafi seemed determined to kill as many as Libyans as possible, she said "many different actions" were being considered.
But the international debate on what action to take may have dragged on too long to help the anti-Gadhafi uprising, now struggling to hold its ground one month after it started.
Clashes around Ajdabiyah, a strategic town on the coastal highway, hampered the government advance on Benghazi, but the army warned citizens it had the city in its sights and people should leave rebel-held locations.
The US, previously cool on the idea of a foreign military intervention, said the United Nations Security Council should consider tougher action than a no-fly zone over Libya.
"We are discussing very seriously and leading efforts in the Council around a range of actions that we believe could be effective in protecting civilians," US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said.
"The US view is that we need to be prepared to contemplate steps that include but perhaps go beyond a no-fly zone."
Diplomats at the UN said that the US, Britain and France now supported the idea of the Security Council authorizing military action such as airstrikes to protect civilian areas.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she hoped the security council would vote "no later than Thursday."
Saying that Gadhafi seemed determined to kill as many as Libyans as possible, she said "many different actions" were being considered.
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