THE GUARDIAN: Libyan leader told the US and Nato are weighing up a raft of military options, including arming the rebel forces
Barack Obama has stepped up pressure on Colonel Gaddafi, saying the US and Nato allies were considering a military response to violence in Libya, with the list of options including arming the rebels.
Obama's remarks came as Britain and France made progress in drafting a resolution at the UN calling for a no-fly zone triggered by specific conditions, rather than timelines. Downing Street is hopeful that a resolution with clear triggers such as the bombing of civilians would not be subject to a Russian veto at the security council.
The foreign secretary, William Hague, told the Commons a no-fly zone would have to be supported by north African countries and rebel leaders and would also need an appropriate legal basis.
He said he was looking at ways of restricting the money going to the Libyan regime from oil revenues, with one option being money going into an escrow account for the use of the Libyan people.
Many Tory backbenchers voiced concerns about a no-fly zone, including the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, Richard Ottaway, who argued they had not worked in Bosnia or Iraq.
The international shift towards support for a UN-endorsed no-fly zone has seen influential US senators such as John Kerry and John McCain backing the plan. There is growing concern that the rebels will be crushed unless they are given some practical military support, even if it is limited to disabling Libyan air control radar. >>> Simon Tisdall, Patrick Wintour and Richard Norton-Taylor | Monday, March 07, 2011
