JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GETTY IMAGES - US President Barack Obama lays a wreath at the 9/11 Memorial in New York on May 5, 2011. Obama took a defiant message to the New York epicenter of the 9/11 attacks Thursday, warning that Osama bin Laden's death proved America will never fail to bring terrorists to "justice." AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)
The U.N. Security Council voted Thursday to authorize “all necessary measures” to protect civilians in Libya, and European backers of the resolution said enforcement actions could follow within hours.
The resolution passed 10 to 0 with 5 abstentions. It demands an immediate cease-fire in Libya, “the complete end of violence and all attacks against and abuse of civilians,” and it authorizes the international community to impose a no-fly zone.
The vote took place as the window for action closed in Libya, with forces loyal to leader Moammar Gaddafi advancing toward Benghazi, the rebel headquarters in eastern Libya, and renewing attacks on remaining opposition-held towns in the west.
Before the vote, the United States had added its sponsorship to the resolution authored by France, Britain and Lebanon. Russia, China and Germany, all of whom have opposed intervention in varying degrees, abstained from the vote.
The resolution establishes “a ban on all flights in the airspace” of Libya except for humanitarian and evacuation flights.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking during a visit to Tunisia, said that a no-fly zone would “require certain actions taken to protect the planes and the pilots, including bombing targets like the Libyan defense systems.”
A French foreign ministry official said France and Britain, with cooperation from one or two Arab countries, would be prepared to start carrying out a resolution as soon as it was approved, within a matter of hours. NATO planners this week presented alliance political leaders with final plans for various military options in Libya.
The United States has five warships off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean, and it was unclear what role, if any, U.S. forces would play in any initial enforcement actions. The French official, who spoke anonymously under conditions laid out by the foreign ministry, said Britain and France were prepared to act without U.S. direct participation, or with a limited U.S. role.
Italy last week told NATO that its land bases could be used for enforcement of a no-fly zone.
Although NATO has been planning for possible action in Libya as a group, the resolution authorizes action by U.N. members “acting nationally or through regional organizations,” and France has said its air forces would be ready to commence operations — most likely targeting runways and air defenses — as early as Thursday evening. Britain has also expressed interest, but has made no official statement.
A senior NATO official expressed some consternation at France’s eagerness, and said French forces were unlikely to take full-scale action until at least Saturday. “On the NATO side,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, “we’re not yet ready” and the alliance has not formally approved plans for a specific operation. But “we could move within days,” he said.
Although the Pentagon has participated in NATO planning, the U.S. military has not yet made final decisions nor has the White House approved any specific American actions. “I don’t think we’re there yet,” a U.S. official said, noting that the United States can “do things the French can’t,” including the use of B-2 bombers and cruise missiles.
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