UNITED NATIONS – Security Council supporters of a no-fly zone over Libya tried Wednesday to persuade reluctant members of the U.N. body to back a resolution aimed at preventing Moammar Gadhafi’s planes from conducting attacks on the Libyan people.
The hesitation among some members over a no-fly zone was apparent after the proposed resolution was introduced Tuesday afternoon in the 15-member Security Council by Lebanon, France and Britain, spurred by the Arab League’s urgent call.
While Russia and Germany expressed doubts, France pushed for rapid action, with Foreign Minister Alain Juppe saying in Paris that several Arab countries have pledged to participate in possible military action in the North African country.
With Gadhafi’s forces intensifying their attacks, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said during a visit to Egypt on Wednesday that the Obama administration understands “the urgency” of the situation and is stepping up humanitarian assistance and looking for ways to support the opposition.
Clinton said she expected a U.N. vote no later than today.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.