The UN Approves No-Fly Zone Over Libya

[Vidboy10]

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has voted on a resolution authorising a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" - code for military action - to protect civilians.Ten of the council's 15 members voted in favour of the resolution, while Russia, China, Germany, India and Brazil abstained. No votes were recorded against the resolution, which was co-sponsored by France, Britain, Lebanon and the United States.

In Benghazi, the main rebel stronghold, a large crowd watching the vote on an outdoor TV projection burst into celebration as green and red fireworks filled the air, as broadcast live on the Al-Jazeera satellite TV channel. The resolution fulfills a long-standing demand from pro-democracy opposition forces in Libya asking for a no-fly zone to be established in order to prevent Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, from using fighter jets to bombard their positions, as they have been doing. It comes just a few hours after Gaddafi warned residents of Benghazi, an opposition stronghold, that his forces would show "no mercy" in an impending assault on the city. "The matter has been decided ... we are coming," he said in a radio address on Thursday.

The Libyan leader called pro-democracy fighters in Benghazi "armed gangsters" and urged residents to attack them, saying:

"You all go out and cleanse the city of Benghazi. We will track them down, and search for them, alley by alley, road by road ... Massive waves of people will be crawling out to rescue the people of Benghazi, who are calling out for help, asking us to rescue them. We should come to their rescue."

In an interview broadcast just before the security council voted on the resolution, Gaddafi dismissed its actions. "The UN Security Council has no mandate. We don't acknowledge their resolutions," he told the Portuguese public Radiotelevisao Portuguesa. He pledged to respond harshly to UN-sponsored attacks. "If the world is crazy, we will be crazy too," he said. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, said there was not much time left for the international community to act.

"France is very much involved in this action and has prepared the draft resolution. We have one goal… we want to stop the attacks by the Gaddafi regime against civilian populations. And it's a question of days or hours because the pressure against Benghazi, especially, is now very tough."

The Libyan defence ministry on Thursday, before the vote, warned that any military intervention in Libya would endanger air and sea traffic in the Mediterranean Sea. In a statement released by the state-run Jana news agency, the ministry said that both civilian and military targets in the Mediterranean will be attacked.[/p]

Source

 

[noONE]

About damn time, i say...

 

[ganons]

There goes the oil .....

 

[Sheimi]

There goes the oil .....

 

[Ziggy Zigzagoon]

Ugh! Missionaries wanting to witness there will be blocked even further!

 

[The Phantom]

Wow they only waited 31 days since Gaddafi started to slaughter his citizens to say that they'd stop the slaughter if it continues. The UN is corrupt and useless. by the time that they get around to actually doing anything everyone will already be dead.

 

[Celice]

There is reason the UN didn't act sooner. All childish and stupid reasons, akin to "not wanting to upset the imaginary world and its rules set up."

But anyone paying attention to the revolutions, and what has been happening within then, knows this comes weeks too late. And now that Qadaffi has basically been told his grip's to loosen, I'm gonna guess those rebels and innocents are gonna be punished a whole lot more while he has the chance. And now Saudi's getting interested enough to emulate Qadaffi's response.

 

[trumpet-205]

If you want to intervene, you might as well declare a war against Libya. No-fly zone requires military enforcement, which is very close to war.

Oil price will rise again.

 

[LightyKD]

It's on like Donkey Kong, bitches!

But seriously, this is coming a bit too late. Hopefully the rebels will prevail but you gotta admit, Ghadafi's antics were getting a bit Charlie Sheen like. I was hoping to hear him say that he was "WINNING". Damn at least someone should have asked him if he was on a substance, only for him to say he's on "Charlie Sheen".

 

[lordrand11]

Wow they only waited 31 days since Gaddafi started to slaughter his citizens to say that they'd stop the slaughter if it continues. The UN is corrupt and useless. by the time that they get around to actually doing anything everyone will already be dead.

Aah the Game of Politics. Really sucks. Too many people in the world today are to readily to check whether or not they will offend. The UN are sheep.

 

[Canonbeat234]

The UN has been a joke ever since they ignored worldly issues while trying to imply some effort of solving them. The UN can't solve nothing, it just a big palace with all the political leaders complain and whine about not getting enough money. Then when a real issue shows up, they must ALL agree or majority of them.

 

[cwstjdenobs]

The UN has been a joke ever since they ignored worldly issues while trying to imply some effort of solving them. The UN can't solve nothing, it just a big palace with all the political leaders complain and whine about not getting enough money. Then when a real issue shows up, they must ALL agree or majority of them.

This is the problem with having to vote for things, takes time and people can make the wrong choices. I think the only solution is to place a de-facto ruler in charge to make the real decisions.

I say I'm the best choice.

Of course anyone who disagrees is on drugs, and an enemy against the peoples of the world.

 

[YetoJesse]

Ow my god, let them just kill each other!
all we europeans get is the F-ing terrorists that escape to our countries!...
come on! ...
how sad is it when we NEED to built those moslim church thingies in a catholic country?!
and what do we get from helping those guys?..
potential first place on the terrorist list?...

 

[Hop2089]

Gaddafi must die!!!!

For those worried abut Libyan oil (and live in the US), stop worrying the US get oil from Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Besides a few oil fields destroyed there won't matter (only 2% of oil even comes from there), but civilians being slaughtered by a naive and insane dictator does.

 

[DSGamer64]

Should have done this ages ago, freaking idiots.