President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government said it will host talks on Saturday between the European Council president, Arab League officials and senior representatives of all states wanting to support a UN-mandated intervention in Libya. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said the fact that Qaddafi’s government declared a unilateral cease-fire on Friday had not removed the threat to civilians in the oil-producing North African country. “We have to be very cautious. He (Qaddafi) is now starting to be afraid, but on the ground the threat has not changed,” Valero said.
US President Barack Obama warned Qaddafi on Friday to comply with UN demands for a cease-fire or else face consequences that include military action. He said Qaddafi must stop advances on the rebel capital of Benghazi. “All attacks against all civilians must stop,” Obama said in a White House speech. Earlier, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the world is waiting to see whether Qaddafi’s forces begin to retreat from opposition-controlled areas in the east.
Clinton told reporters in Washington that the US isn’t impressed by the Libyan government’s claim of a cease-fire, saying “we would have to see action on the ground — and that is not yet at all clear.” Clinton said Friday that the first goal of international action is to end the violence in Libya.
She said Qaddafi’s forces must pull “a significant distance away from the east.” That’s where they are fighting rebels seeking his ouster.
Despite the declaration of cease-fire, the government troops pounded the rebel-held western city of Misrata on Friday, killing at least 25 people including children, a doctor there told Reuters. Residents said there was no sign of a cease-fire. “We decided on an immediate cease-fire and on an immediate stop to all military operations,” Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa told reporters in Tripoli on Friday, after the UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing military action late on Thursday.
Turkey, an opponent of military action, said the cease-fire should go into effect immediately.
Arab League chief Amr Moussa said the UN resolution was aimed at protecting civilians and did not authorize invasion, and said he did not want any side “to go too far.”
Western officials said military action could include France, Britain, the United States and one or more Arab countries. “Britain will deploy Tornadoes and Typhoons as well as air-to-air refueling and surveillance aircraft,” Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament. “Preparations to deploy these aircraft have already started and in the coming hours they will move to air bases from where they can start to take the necessary action.” Qatar said it would take part but it was unclear whether that meant military help, while Italy said it would make military bases, equipment and troops available.
Denmark and Canada said they planned to contribute warplanes.
Meanwhile, a Libyan rebel spokesman has dismissed the cease-fire announcement, claiming Qaddafi’s forces are still attacking key cities in the east and the west.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution endorsing a no-fly zone and “all necessary measures” to protect civilians from Qaddafi’s forces.
Ten of the Council’s 15 member states voted in favor of the resolution, while Russia, China and Germany were among five that abstained. The resolution was co-sponsored by France, Britain, Lebanon and the United States.
