By IANS,
Paris: At an emergency meeting here Saturday leaders from the Western and some Arab countries decided to carry out “all necessary measures, including military” to enforce a UN resolution authorizing a no-fly zone over Libya, Xinhua reported.
After the summit in Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said France had already taken military action against Libya.
French planes are ready to intervene against any threat to unarmed Libyan civilians, he said at a press conference.
“Our determination is total,” he said after seeing off leaders attending the meeting, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi “has ignored the warning” of military intervention, Sarkozy said, referring to the statement issued Friday night by the US, France and Britain calling a complete ceasefire in Libya.
“We are determined to take all necessary action, including military, consistent with UNSCR 1973, to ensure compliance with all its requirements,” a statement issued after the Paris meeting said.
The world powers are “determined to act collectively and resolutely to give full effect to these decisions,” according to the statement, underlining that this commitment is “for the long term”.
Sarkozy added that the door for diplomacy will reopen if Gaddafi stops attacking civilians. “There is still time for Col. Gaddafi to avoid the worst without delay and without reservation,” the French president said.
The leaders urged Gaddafi’s force to withdraw “from all areas they have entered by force, return to their compounds and allow full humanitarian access”, the statement added.
A French official said Mirage and Rafale fighters were flying over the eastern city of Benghazi and could strike tanks of the Libyan military.
Earlier, several French reconnaissance planes were flying over Libya, a French military source said. The warplanes took off Saturday afternoon from their base in eastern France.
Sources said that after France took the lead to initiate military action, Britain, Canada and the US and some Arab nations followed suit. But it is still unclear in what way they would participate, according to Xinhua.
Earlier Saturday, Libyan government forces stormed into the rebel-held Benghazi city apparently ignoring a proclaimed ceasefire.