France and Britain will push for the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya if attacks on civilians continue, the two countries' foreign ministers said Wednesday, dpa reported.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and British Foreign Secretary William Hague were speaking after a meeting in Paris.
Juppe said he did not think that a military intervention by a NATO force "would be welcomed in the south of the Mediterranean" presently and said it could even be "counterproductive."
"That said, given the threats from Colonel Gaddafi, we have to be in a position to react and that is why we agreed to plans for a no-fly zone over Libya," he said.
The Arab League on Wednesday has rebuffed proposals for foreign intervention in what it called "an internal Arab crisis".
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also expressed reticence about the idea for a no-fly zone, saying Thursday it was one "option" that was not yet at the decision stage.
Hague said France and Britain, who have been vying to take the lead on Europe's response to the unrest in Libya, were working on "bold and ambitious" proposals to put to European Union leaders at a summit next week.
Juppe, meanwhile, poured cold water on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's proposal to mediate in Libya, saying any solution to the crisis that kept Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi in place was "not welcome."
Chavez, an ally of Gaddafi, has proposed an international peace commission to mediate between Gaddafi and pro-democracy rebels.
...
