though the US policy on Libya is to see Muammar Qaddafi removed from
power the US administration would stick to the mandate of UN Resolution
1973 which is aimed at protecting civilians.
At a news conference in the Chilean capital Santiago, Obama said the
military objective in Libya is to guard civilians from attacks, not oust
Qaddafi from power.
Obama's remarks made echoed the State Department's position as
articulated by spokesman Mark Toner.
We're trying to convince Qaddafi and his regime, and his associates that
they need to step down from power, Toner said. That remains our ultimate
goal here.
Libyan state television reported new attacks on several sites, including
Qaddafi's bastions, in Tripoli by the crusader enemy.
In Misrata, government forces continued to storm the rebel-held city
near Tripoli killing at least 40 people. The fighting comes as Tripoli
accused both coalition forces and the rebels of breaking a ceasefire,
which it had announced late Sunday.
In Washington, the Pentagon said Western strikes had crippled Qaddafi's
military might, but signalled it would keep Libyan rebels at arm's
length as it seeks to avoid getting mired in a messy civil conflict.
According to the US president, Nato will be involved in helping to
coordinate the next phase of action in Libya. The US expects some kind
of transfer of command within days, not weeks, he said.
Libyan rebels, meanwhile, said they aimed to capture Tripoli and force
out Qaddafi.
They welcomed the international action but said they did not want
foreign ground forces to intervene in the war.
In Paris, an armed forces spokesman said that France had deployed around
20 military aircraft over Libya on Monday, but had not carried out any
air strikes by late afternoon on Monday.
France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier should be in place and ready
to participate in the operation in Libya from Tuesday.
In Tehran, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused
Washington of seeking a strategic foothold in oilrich Libya. If the West
wanted to help Libyan civilians, he said, it would arm them rather than
bomb Qaddafi.
Washington will soon reduce its participation in the coalition operation
in Tripoli, Russia's Interfax news agency cited US Defence Secretary
Robert Gates as saying. Gates also said it would be a mistake for the
coalition to set for itself
the goal of killing Qaddafi. I think it's pretty clear to everybody that
Libya would be better off without Qaddafi. But that is a matter for the
Libyans themselves to decide, Gates told Interfax news agency.
In Cairo, the Arab League on Monday reaffirmed its support for the
West-led Operation Odyssey Dawn. Europe remained divided however despite
a UN appeal for unity.
Political solution needed: Khar
Pakistan on Monday voiced serious concern over the loss of precious
human lives in Libya following military strikes and the enforcement of a
no-fly zone by Western powers.
A peaceful political solution needs to be evolved by the Libyan people
themselves in the spirit of mutual accommodation and national
reconciliation, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar
said in a statement released on Monday. Khar cautioned that reports of
civilian casualtiesâ were extremely
distressing and could have far-reaching implications about
interpretation and implementation of humanitarian principles.
She called for restraint to be shown by all sides.
About the plight of Pakistani expatriate workers in Libya, she said: Our
embassy in Tripoli and the special task force in the ministry of foreign
affairs are working round-the-clock to ensure the safety of our
nationals, she added.
More than 5,000 Pakistani nationals have been evacuated so far from the
strife-hit country.
No comments:
Post a Comment