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EU team sent to Libyan rebel-held Benghazi

14 March 2011, 22:16 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - The European Union has sent a mission to the rebel-held eastern town of Benghazi in Libya, a spokeswoman for the bloc's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday.

"The objective of the mission is to gather information and assess the situation to support ongoing prudent planning in response to the Libyan crisis," the spokeswoman said.

A diplomatic source said the possible imposition of a no-fly zone "is part of the prudent planning" undertaken by the 27-nation bloc.

EU members Britain and France have been pushing for the United Nations Security Council to agree to police Libya's skies as troops loyal to Moamer Kadhafi press in against insurgents.

The EU mission was in Benghazi on Sunday and Monday. Its work "follows on from the technical visit to Tripoli the previous week," the spokeswoman added.

In London on Monday, Prime Minister David Cameron admitted Britain has yet to "win the argument" for a no-fly zone over Libya but said support from the region this weekend was "very encouraging".

EU leaders agreed Friday to talk to rebels fighting Kadhafi's regime and protect Libyan civilians "by all necessary means", but they did not mention a no-fly zone.

Plans by London and Paris to draw up a UN Security Council resolution on Libya that includes a no-fly zone won support Saturday from the Arab League.

"We need to continue to win the argument for a strong response from the international community, Europe included," Cameron told parliament.

France insisted Saturday it was "very clear" on the need for a UN mandate to authorise a no-fly zone in Libya to protect populations from Kadhafi's air force.

The "conditions" for a military intervention in Libya included "a United Nations mandate, on that we have been very clear. The president's statements are very explicit on this point," Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said at talks with EU counterparts in Godollo, Hungary.

At the EU summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy had seemed less adamant.

"A United Nations mandate is necessary, it is preferable," he said. "If there is no mandate and there is a regional and Libyan request, we will see."

The possibility of negotiating a ceasefire as an alternative to the military option was raised at the Saturday meeting of EU foreign ministers, backed by a group of countries including Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.

"There are two schools of thought, one urges the use of military force, and the other, supported by a certain number of member states, which says that a ceasefire is the card we should play," said an EU diplomat who requested anonymity.

Asked whether Kadhafi's latest victories on the ground would tilt Western powers towards a negotiated end to the conflict, a top EU diplomat said: "I think it's more of an encouragement to act rather than an encouragement to negotiate."

"You can't negotiate with Kadhafi," the senior diplomat added.

"It would be very difficult to act without a UN resolution", which China and Russia currently oppose, the source said.

But he said the statement adopted by the 27 EU leaders at Friday's summit "left some slack" because it opened the door to action "on a clear legal basis."

Condemning Kadhafi's attacks on his own people, the EU leaders in a joint statement agreed to eye "all necessary options" to protect civilians.

"The use of force, especially with military means, against civilians is unacceptable and must stop immediately," they said, adding: "The safety of the people must be ensured by all necessary means."

"In order to protect the civilian population," they said, "member states will examine all necessary options, provided that there is a demonstrable need, a clear legal basis and support from the region."


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