UNSC to meet again to consider sanctions against Libya

United Nations, Feb 26 (PTI) India and 14 other membersof the UN Security Council have agreed to hold yet anothermeeting of the powerful body to consider sanctions against theMuammar Gaddafi regime in Libya to end the brutal crackdown byforces loyal to him against anti-government protesters.

The UNSC, which met in an emergency session on Libyayesterday, will again hold talks from 2130 hrs IST tonight todiscuss a draft resolution aimed at imposing sanctions on theGaddafi regime.

The Council would consider the draft resolution,"including specific targeted measures aimed at putting an endto violence, helping achieve a peaceful solution to thecurrent crisis, ensuring accountability and respecting thewill of the Libyan people," the UNSC President for this month,Brazilian Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, said.

Meanwhile, French ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud,ruled out the military option to deal with the Libyansituation right now and sought a strong international responseto the crisis.

"Military operation is not an option at this stage, veryclearly," Araud told reporters outside the UN SecurityCouncil. "The continuing brutal and bloody repression againstthe civilian population is appalling in Libya."

"As noted by the President of the French Republic(Nicolas Sarkozy), we follow these events with horror andcompassion. Such use of force (by the Libyan regime) againstits own people is shameful," he said.

The international community cannot remain a spectatorfaced with these massive violations of human rights, he said.

Araud''s remarks came after the UN Security Council''semergency meeting yesterday, during which it discussed thedraft resolution, introduced by the British Ambassador to theUN Sir Mark Lyall Grant. on sanctions against Libya.

"I was encouraged by the response from other Councilmembers. We now need to move forward with the urgency that thesituation demands. We need to act to bring an end to theviolence as soon as possible," the British Ambassador said ina statement.

"The seriousness of the situation in Libya requires astrong response from the international community. We haveprepared with our British, German and US partners a draftresolution. It has been circulated among the members of theSecurity Council," he said. (More) PTI LKJ