The Pentagon is deploying naval and air forces around Libya as the US and UK governments consider tougher measures to force Muammer Gaddafi from power, including the possible establishment of a no-fly zone.“We must not tolerate this regime using military force against its own people,” David Cameron, UK prime minister, said. “In that context I have asked the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff to work with our allies on plans for a military no-fly zone.”
Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, at a UN meeting in Geneva, said: “Nothing is off the table so long as the Libyan government continues to threaten and kill Libyans.” She added she had discussed a no-fly zone with other foreign ministers.
She insisted the naval deployments did not signal pending military action, emphasising instead that refugees might need to be rescued at sea amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.
According to Colonel David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, US military planners are working on “various contingency plans ... [and] repositioning forces to be able to provide for that flexibility once decisions are made”.
The military manoeuvring coincided with US and UK efforts to ratchet up financial pressure being brought to bear on Colonel Gaddafi, whose forces remain in control of Tripoli, the capital.
“As of today at least $30bn in government of Libya assets under US jurisdiction have been blocked,” said David Cohen, acting US Treasury undersecretary. “This is the largest blocking under any sanctions programme ever.”
The UK, meanwhile, has frozen at least £1bn of assets belonging to Col Gaddafi and five members of his family.
With Col Gaddafi apparently willing to fight to the death, some opponents of the regime are arguing that the international community should threaten military action, in an effort to persuade the Libyan leader’s forces to defect and hasten his downfall.
Col Gaddafi’s enemies fear his ability to dig in and threaten cities that have already fallen to rebel forces. There were reports Monday that the Libyan airforce had bombed an arms depot in territory held by anti-regime forces in the country’s eastern region.
In a defiant interview, Col Gaddafi told the BBC that “all my people love me” and are prepared to die for him.
UK officials said they could use of a British military air base in Akrotiri, Cyprus to enforce a no-fly mission. “Akrotiri would be very useful if we wanted to deploy,” said an official. “That would seem most logical.”
Although fixed-wing aircraft appear to be depleted, British officials said the main concern was that Col Gaddafi could use helicopters to mount bombing raids on opponents.
Pentagon officials say deployments are small in scale. A Pentagon spokesman said US military planners are working on “various contingency plans [and] repositioning forces to be able to provide for that flexibility once decisions are made”.
Top military officials in Washington have also been looking at other options, including “safe zones” for people sheltering from the regime, securing ports, airports and oil fields and providing guarantees for an attempt to set up a new government.
UN approval of a no-fly zone would be difficult to secure, given China’s and Russia’s extensive doubts about military intervention. Some western diplomats suggested a no fly-zone could be imposed by a coalition of nations outside the Nato remit.
US officials emphasise that co-operation with Britain and France would be particularly important, but Germany has signalled deep reluctance about any military intervention.
The European Union also announced sanctions on Libya. But while the measures went further than a United Nations Security Council resolution agreed at the weekend they were less extensive than unilateral US measures, which froze assets belonging to Libya’s sovereign wealth fund.
Libya also looks likely to become the first country to be expelled from the UN Human Rights Council.
Foreign ministers from the US, Russia, the UK, Germany and other states convened on Monday for a council session in Geneva, where they condemned the violence that Col Gaddafi has unleashed on his opponents in recent days.
The International Criminal Court prosecutor said on Monday that he hoped to complete a preliminary examination of the violence in Libya in a few days before opening a full investigation.
