Jeddah: Saudi Arabia said
today that a decision to support imposing a no-fly zone over
Libya was up to the Arab League, not only Gulf countries.
"It is an issue that is the responsibility of the Arab
League," Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told a press
conference in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
Arab League foreign ministers will meet Saturday to
discuss ways to stop Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi from bombing
and strafing his own citizens who are battling the loyalist
military for control of the north African country.
Foreign ministers of the six Gulf Cooperation Council
states -- which include Saudi Arabia and are all members of
the 22-member Arab League -- released a statement Monday
calling on the United Nations to enforce a no-fly zone.
But Faisal appeared to distance Saudi Arabia from the
GCC statement, saying that any such decision needed to be
taken by the broader League.
He added however that all member countries shared the
common aim to "protect the Libyans."
The League last week said it would reject any foreign
military intervention in Libya.
A British-French resolution demanding a no-fly zone
could go before the UN Security Council as early as this week,
diplomats said Monday.
Britain and France have made the most aggressive calls
among Western powers for a no-fly zone to hamper Gaddafi`s
offensive and deny his air force the freedom to attack rebels
and civilians.
Any move toward collective military action of any kind
is likely to face tough resistance from China, Russia and
other members of the Security Council.
PTI
