libya no-fly zone approved , page-3

A UN Security Council vote calling for "all necessary measures" against forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been passed unanimously.

The vote - which was 10-0 with five abstentions, including Russia and China - will allow the effort to enforce a no-fly zone and ground Gaddafi's air force to begin within a few days.

Gaddafi has already criticised UN Security Council Resolution 1973/2011, with The Guardian reporting him telling Portuguese television station RTP: "This is craziness, madness, arrogance. If the world gets crazy with us we will get crazy too".
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"We will respond. We will make their lives hell because they are making our lives hell. They will never have peace."

The Libyan leader vowed just hours before the vote to oust the rebels from their eastern stronghold.

Three loud explosions followed by anti-aircraft fire rattled the rebel-held city of Benghazi in eastern Libya, reports say. The cause of the blasts, heard about an hour before the UN voted, was not immediately known and no aircraft were heard in the area of the explosions.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said if the resolution was approved, France would support military action against Gaddafi within hours. The US said it was preparing for action.

Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will join international forces ready to enforce a no-fly zone, US Congress and UN diplomatic sources say.

These officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorised to speak publicly on the issue, after briefing US Senators on the issue.

Chinese envoy Li Baodong, who holds the rotating council presidency this month, said: "We are going to take action very quickly.

"I urged all the delegations to get instructions from their capitals as early as possible," he said.

Meanwhile, in Tripoli, Libya warned it could target military and civilian air and sea traffic in the Mediterranean in case of a foreign military intervention, the official Jana news agency reported.

"Any military operation against Libya will expose all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean to danger," Jana quoted Libya's defence ministry spokesman as saying.

"And any civilian or military moving traffic will be the target of a Libyan counter-offensive," he said. "The Mediterranean basin will be exposed to grave danger, not just in the short term but also in the long term."

With Gaddafi forces claiming to be at the gates of the rebel capital, Benghazi, a decision has become imperative.

France and Britain have led a campaign at the 15-nation council for a no-fly zone over Libya. While this is resisted by China, the US has taken an increasingly tough line seeking broader measures against the threat posed by Gaddafi.

The United States has said a no-fly zone may not be enough and stressed the need for strong Arab participation in any operation.

The chief of the US Air Force, General Norton Schwartz, told US lawmakers in Washington that imposing a no-fly zone over Libya "would not be sufficient" to halt Gaddafi's forces.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on a visit to Tunis the United States "will look for a broad base of participation, including from Arab nations".

NATO has already planned for a no-fly zone and its chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen earlier urged the UN security council to quickly agree on a resolution, warning "time is running out" to stop Gaddafi.

"If Gaddafi prevails, it will send a clear signal that violence pays. That would be unacceptable from a humanitarian and democratic perspective," Rasmussen said.

"NATO stands ready to protect the civilian population if there is a demonstrable need, clear legal basis and strong regional support."

China has opposed military action, Germany has also spoken out against no-fly zones. Russia, India, South Africa and other nations have expressed various degrees of doubts, diplomats said.

Russia had wanted a resolution demanding a ceasefire to be passed first, but this did not get enough backing to go for a vote.