Global General

G8 FMs divide on no-fly zone over Libya

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-15 22:07

PARIS - Foreign ministers of the Group of Eight debated a common reaction to the ever-changing situation in Libya on Tuesday with some members against the imposition of a no-fly zone in the North African country.

Germany Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle spoke out against military intervention in Libya.

"I think we should be careful and cautious, should not think military intervention is the easy way, because when the interior intervention with the no-fly zone wasn't well organized, what is next?," Westerwelle told a news conference.

Germany's attitude played a contrary tone with Britain and France, who advocated pressing for a UN resolution authorizing the use of military force to support the rebels in their fight against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

On Monday, British Prime Minister David Cameron said a no-fly zone was "perfectly practical and deliverable" while the UN Security Council failed to reach a resolution on the France-Britain proposal.

For countries like Japan, a UN resolution was too important to skip when addressing the Libya crisis.

"If that sort of arrangement is made, we feel some needed basis should be here, for example the UN Security Council Resolutions. So with those conditions, we insisted in having measures," said Hidenobu Sobashima,spokesman for the Japanese delegation.

Sources reported after the meeting that the Russian delegation also disagreed on specific military intervention in Libya.

So far, there has been no comment from the US delegation though Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly met with members of Libya's opposition in Paris on Monday.