The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference said it would hold an emergency meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Jeddah on Saturday to discuss Libya. “The meeting will discuss the latest developments and the resolutions to be adopted to address the tense situation in that country,” the OIC general secretariat said.
Britain, France and Lebanon have circulated to the 15-nation council a draft resolution to authorize a no-fly zone to halt Libyan government airstrikes on rebels. But the US, Russia, China, Germany, India and other council members are either undecided or have voiced doubts about the proposal.
The three distributed the draft on Tuesday after the Arab League called on the council over the weekend to establish a no-fly zone.
French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters ahead of a closed-door session to discuss the draft that he hoped for a vote on the resolution by the end of the week, if possible by Thursday evening. Asked if that timetable was achievable, Araud said, “Of course it’s realistic.” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told French Parliament that he was confident they would strike a deal with Security Council members to secure a no-fly zone.
Lebanese Ambassador Nawaf Salam told reporters that one concern raised by Germany and others — the apparent clash between the Arab League’s call for a no-fly zone and its opposition to foreign military intervention — was not a contradiction. He said Arab nations would help enforce any no-fly zone authorized by the council.
“There will be a significant Arab participation,” he said, without giving details. Salam also called for a swift vote.
Meanwhile, Qaddafi’s forces used tanks and artillery on Wednesday to try to retake the city of Misrata, the last big rebel stronghold in western Libya, residents said. But rebel fighters in Misrata, on the Mediterranean coast about 200 km east of the Libyan capital Tripoli, said they had stalled a ground attack on the city and seized some tanks from pro-Qaddafi units.
Qaddafi’s son, Seif Al-Islam, warned rebels that government troops were closing in on Benghazi and urged them to leave the country. “Within 48 hours everything will be finished,” he said in an interview with Lyon, France-based EuroNews television.
