Tripoli, March 16: Group of Eight (G8) powers have failed to agree on military intervention in Libya, France’s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said today after the countries discussed proposals for a no-fly zone there.
“For the moment I have not convinced them,” Juppe said on Europe 1 radio, referring to his talks with fellow G8 foreign ministers at a dinner last night.
France and Britain had been pushing for a no-fly zone that would ground Libyan aircraft to protect its people from assault by forces loyal to ruler Muammar Gaddafi, and France had even talked of targeted air strikes.
The US, Russia and European Union countries had reacted cautiously to the no-fly zone proposal.
Juppe recognised that Gaddafi had the upper hand in his battle against Libya’s rebels, whom he has driven out of several towns this week with shelling and airstrikes.
“Gaddafi is scoring points,” Juppe said, adding that there was nothing to stop Gaddafi seizing the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
“Currently we do not have the military means because the international community has not decided to provide them,” he said.
The G8 powers agreed instead to turn to the UN Security Council for a resolution to “raise the pressure against the Gaddafi regime”, Juppe said, citing a possible sea embargo.
Further G8 talks were due followed by news conferences in the afternoon.
——–Agencies