By IANS,
London : British Prime Minister David Cameron has claimed that “virtually every country around the world” wants Muammar Gaddafi to step down as Libya’s leader.
Cameron said he was just echoing the sentiments of the international community at large.
While dismissing suggestions that the international anti-Gaddafi coalition had actually changed its war aims, Cameron said that when he joined the presidents of the US and France in publishing a joint article saying that Gaddafi would have to go, the three leaders were merely expressing the world opinion.
“If you stop and think about it, the idea that at the end of all this somehow you could keep in place Colonel Gaddafi, who is even as we speak right now murdering his own civilians in Misrata – the idea that he’s got a part to play in the future of Libya must be wrong,” The Guardian Sunday quoted Cameron as saying.
On Friday, the publication of the joint article prompted calls for the recall of the British parliament, on the grounds that it implied regime change was now the main goal of the international coalition.
Cameron, during an interview with Sky News Sunday, rejected such an analysis.
“We can only fulfil what is in the UN security council resolutions, but that doesn’t stop us together as we have done, President Obama, President Sarkozy and I – but also virtually every prime minister in every country around the world – saying that Libya should be able to have a free and democratic future determined by themselves; it’s hard to believe they’d choose one with Colonel Gaddafi still around,” he said.
Stating there was “no question of an invasion or an occupation” under the terms of the UN resolution, Cameron said this was making fighting the conflict “more difficult in many ways” for the coalition.
But the coalition was supplying the rebels with non-lethal material, such as body armour and communications equipment, he said.
He said there’s no doubt in his mind that Gaddafi still intended to murder people in Misrata after taking control of the city and also pushing towards Benghazi, “where I’m sure, if he ever got there, there would be a bloodbath”.
“We should be taking all the necessary steps to stop that from happening and to save civilian life,” Cameron stated.