Nicolas Sarkozy calls for air strikes on Libya if Gaddafi attacks civilians

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Force justified if Gaddafi uses chemical weapons or launches air strikes against civilians, French president tells EU summit

Nicholas Watt in Brussels | Friday March 11 2011 13.10 GMT

Nicolas Sarkozy has called for targeted air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi's regime if his forces use chemical weapons or launch air strikes against civilians.

As the EU foreign policy chief, Lady Ashton, warned that a no-fly zone could risk civilian lives in Libya, the French president told an emergency EU summit in Brussels that air strikes may soon be justified.

"The strikes would be solely of a defensive nature if Mr Gaddafi makes use of chemical weapons or air strikes against non-violent protesters," Sarkozy said. The French president qualified his remarks by saying he had many reservations about military intervention in Libya "because Arab revolutions belong to Arabs".

Sarkozy said he had won the support of David Cameron for his plan which would have to be approved by the UN, Arab states and Libyan opposition groups.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/11/nicolas-sarkozy-libya-air-strikes

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EU nations split over Libya action
Britain and France push for military plans and recognition of the Libyan rebel council, but Germany exercises caution.
Last Modified: March 11 2011 13:27 GMT

A European Union crisis summit on Libya has opened in Brussels, the Belgian capital, with countries divided over a British-French push to prepare for military action and formal recognition of the opposition seeking to oust Muammar Gaddafi.

David Cameron, the British prime minister, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, are urging partners to recognise the Libyan National Council, set up in Benghazi last month.

But Germany has said it wants Europe to listen to the opinions of Libya's neighbours and the Arab League before it decides whether to recognise the rebel body.

"I would first like to know how the countries in the region and the Arab League see it before we in Europe once more form our own definitive opinion before everyone else," Guido Westerwelle, Germany's foreign minister, said on Friday.

Full article: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/03/201131112530316161.html

[Kolesar]

1. Turkey and the Saudi kingdom have tons of attack jets--let them deal with Libya...eom

[dipsydoodle]

2. Presumably

he's got selective munitions which can't possibly harm civilians. :sarcasm:

[howaboutme]

3. Keep the USA out of it

Keep the USA out of it. The taxpayers and our military don't need to be led to the slaughter by perpetual neo cons such as McCain, Graham and Lieberman. Air strikes will end up killing innocents and lead to more anger at USA and to escalation with ground troops. Let the Islamic nations deal with it.

[Turborama]

4. When you say "Islamic nations", do you mean Muslim majority countries?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim-majority_countries

Or do you mean Islamic states? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_world#Islamic_states

I don't know why you brought religion into it, anyway. It's not a religious war.

[howaboutme]

5. Yes of course

Of course I mean it should be dealt with by nations in their region with a common culture, just as it would be done to a rogue nation in Europe or Asia.

Whether we like it or not ("we" being atheists, religious believers, non-believers, or of various religious beliefs), religious heritage and language are the two major factors in creating common culture and which forms the basis of how we view and interact with others.

Most of the countries in that region are predominantly of Muslim heritage and it means they can deal with each other on a more common plane without turning it into a crusade.

[Turborama]

7. Culture and religion are two different things

But I'm sure you must know that.

The revolution in Libya is not a religious one, fortunately, and I don't see any reason to try and make it into one.

Maybe it might be better to suggest letting "the Arab nations deal with it"?

[howaboutme]

11. Culture is based upon religious heritage and language.

Religion and language are not based upon culture.

[Turborama]

13. No, not necessarily. Culture has many meanings. Anyway, it's not a religious civil war

...and there's no need to try and make it into one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture

[doc03]

6. Rick Santorum just minutes ago wants us to supply rebels with

weapons, start bombing them and enforce a no fly zone.

[howaboutme]

12. Another neocon in action

They always want the USA to be involved in the Middle East killing innocents, keeping these people angry at us, frittering away young American lives and our Treasury on guns from profiteers, instead of creating a better America for the people.

We need to get out of the Middle East and stay out. We also need to purge these traitors from influencing our government. Those are the hearings that Peter King should of had.

[chelsea0011]

8. It never ceases to amaze me how leaders deal with strife within oil nations

Meanwhile, nations in Africa continue the decades long civil wars, in which no leaders from militarized nations request air strikes on the populations.

[On the Road]

15. That is Absolutely True

I mean, the US *founded* the nation of Liberia, and then watched while it got ripped to shreds without it's even registering on the national consciousness.

[Drale]

9. France can lead this one if they want

maybe show the world that they can actually fight a war without give up :rofl:

[krabigirl]

25. Ugh.

[Rage for Order]

26. Before they go in they'll teach their soldiers how to say "I surrender" in Arabic

Just in case

:rofl:

[bucolic_frolic]

10. Good

Now deputize Carla and Ricky and make them fly the French Air Force ...

[shotten99]

14. He won't do anything to civilians during the uprising.

The crackdown afterward will be brutal, though.

[Posteritatis]

24. Uhhhh, what?

This whole thing started with Qadaffi machinegunning protestors, and has long since escalated to using heavy artillery and airstrikes on them.

[pinboy3niner]

27. +100

In the cities and towns, doctors report that the vast majority of the casualties are civilians--a phenomenon that the U.N. also reported.

[Alamuti Lotus]

16. presumably will also threaten this the next time Gaza, Fallujah, Grozny, or Qandahar are bombed?

Trouble there is, he's friends with all of the war criminals behind those atrocities... why must those charging forward the fastest to lead an erstwhile decent cause be the biggest hypocrites?

[Hosnon]

17. According to international law, force was long ago justified.

The real issue here is the politics of using it: by whom and how.

[pampango]

18. The UN should invoke its "responsibility to protect" (adopted in 2005). If Russia or China

are determined to veto Security Council action on R2P, so be it. If Gaddafi then prevails and repression returns and intensifies, the responsibility for timely action will be apparent.

While an opposition defeat in Libya in the face of attacks by airplanes, tanks, ships and mercenaries will be a sad day, perhaps the UN (and the countries represented on the Security Council) will learn something and decide whether R2P should remain on the books or be removed to protect "national sovereignty" (rather than people) and reinforce the concept that "their" problems are not "our" problems.

[pinboy3niner]

22. AP Interview: Libyan rebels plead for no-fly zone

AP Interview: Libyan rebels plead for no-fly zone

By RYAN LUCAS
The Associated Press
updated 6 minutes ago 2011-03-12T14:59:33


BAYDA, Libya — A rebel leader pleaded Saturday with the international community to approve a no-fly zone over Libya as Moammar Gadhafi's forces gained strength in the east, securing a key port city and oil refinery.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, the head of the opposition's interim governing council, also expressed disappointment over the failure to act by the United States and other Western countries, which have expressed solidarity with the rebels in their fight to oust Gadhafi but stopped short of approving any military action.

"If there is no no-fly zone imposed on Gadhafi's regime, and if his ships are not checked then we will have a catastrophe in Libya," Abdul-Jalil told The Associated Press in an interview in a professors' lounge at the Omar Mukhtar University in Bayda, where he is also head of the city council.

...


".... All the people around the country want Gadhafi to leave and there is no way we can negotiate another option," he said. "We let the international community face its responsibilities. The people don't want him to rule them any more. They are between two choices, either to be killed or to fight to the end."


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42045993/ns/world_news-africa

[Posteritatis]

23. The UN needs American permission to do that

It's not just Russia and China which can veto that, and the US is willing to go pretty far to block even humanitarian interventions in Africa.

(Note that I otherwise agree with you entirely; the guy who first started pushing R2P doctrine is a personal hero of mine.)

[joshcryer]

19. He already has!

[Drahthaardogs]

20. As long as you are paying Nick! I am withya

Yep, this rounds on you buddy!

[pampango]

21. It's the right thing to do, but count me out? Or...

it's the wrong thing to do, but good luck with that?

[JanDutchy]

28. A waepon for selfdestruction: a cheap trick

dutch humor:

http://www.luckymedia.nl/luckytv/2011/02/goedkope-trucs/


مرة أخرى يبدو خطابا قصيراً للزعيم الليبي القذافي الذي يحظى بدعم في جميع طبقات السكان فقدوا، ولذلك فإن اللجوء إلى الحيل الرخيصة.

Again a short speech of the Libyan leader Gaddafi, who has the support in all layers of the population seems to have lost and therefore resort to cheap tricks.

[robcon]

29. Good for Sarkozy. Where's President Obama on this?

n/t

[faz]

30. Sarkozy found his political life-saving straw in Libya

French voter began to dislike him. He needs to divert their attention to somewhere else.