Arab League Considering Imposing No-Fly-Zone Over Libya

[sabrina 1]

As the West sits on the sidelines watching Qaddafi's brutal assaults on his own people and claiming that it would not be possible to impose a No Fly Zone over the country, the Arab League announces it may be willing to do so.

Arab League says could impose Libya "no fly" zone

CAIRO, March 2 (Reuters) - The Arab League said on Wednesday it could impose a "no fly" zone on Libya in coordination with the African Union if fighting continued in the north African state, Secretary-General Amr Moussa said on Wednesday.

"The Arab League will not stand with its hands tied while the blood of the brotherly Libyan people is spilt," Moussa said.

The protesters do not want foreign interference, but they have asked that a No Fly Zone be imposed.

However, Qaddafi is now bombing civilians and threatening the shedding of blood in order to keep control of the country. Protesters are asking for some kind of help.

If the Arab League were to respond to the request for a No Fly Zone, that would take Western powers out of the decision-making process which might be the best solution, I think.

So far I have not seen a response from the protesters but they have expressed a fear of Western interference turning Libya into Iraq. Not sure how they feel about the Arab League.

Gaddafi strikes at town, rebels eye foreign help

OPPOSITION NAMES COUNCIL LEADER

In the opposition bastion of Benghazi, a rebel National Libyan Council called for U.N.-backed air strikes on African mercenaries it said Gaddafi was using against his own people.

"We call for specific attacks on strongholds of these mercenaries," said council spokesman Hafiz Ghoga. "The presence of any foreign forces on Libyan soil is strongly opposed. There is a big difference between this and strategic air strikes."

Any sort of foreign military involvement in Arab countries is a sensitive topic for Western nations uncomfortably aware that Iraq suffered years of bloodletting and al Qaeda violence after a 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.

In a possible response to Western hints that the opposition needs to unify to facilitate rebel links with outside powers, Ghoga added that a former justice minister, Mustafa Abdel, Jalil, would be chairman of the Council which will have 30 members and be based in Benghazi before moving later to Tripoli.

No one trusts the U.S. now since its illegal and ongoing brutal invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. has lost the respect of the world and probably are not in a position to do anything that would not be viewed with suspicion, especially in an oil-producing country like Libya and especially because of the Western powers' embrace of Qaddafi, arming him with the very weapons he is now using against his own people.

But it is clear that Qaddafi will stop at nothing to hold on to power and because of that, something must be done to stop the killing.

Maybe the Arab League is the answer. I don't know!

[tabatha]

1. Good, it would be great if they did so!

[sabrina 1]

4. Yes, if they could. But there seem to be mixed views about their

ability or willingness to do so. Still, maybe just the threat that they might get involved, would be enough to move others to try to do something to stop the genocide now in progress.

[drm604]

2. Considering?

Maybe someone should stop considering and actually do something!

[sabrina 1]

3. I agree. Up to now though, people thought the only authority

that could consider such a move was NATO or the U.S. and its allies. It's good to know there are options, but yes, they should move fast if they intend to do this.