<p>"Consideration for imposing a new-fly zone is still at a very preliminary stage," Hardeep Singh Puri, India's ambassador to the UN told PTI.<br /><br />"There has been some mention but without clarity on what the objective would be. There is even less clarity on whether assets of imposing a no-fly zone would come from," he said, stressing that no "formal proposal" was in front of the Security Council yet.<br /><br />Britain and France are preparing a draft resolution on a potential no-fly zone in the strife-torn North African nation.<br /><br />"It is a realistic possibility and it is a practical possibility. It has to have a clear legal base, it has to have the necessary international support, broad support in the region itself, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague had said.<br /><br />The Security Council was briefed yesterday on Middle East and North Africa in a closed-door session by the UN's top political official Lynn Pascoe.<br /><br />"As we see in the battles that have been going on, clear actions are being taken against the people there, both in Tripoli and other cities," he told journalists after the meeting.<br />"This is a matter of huge concern for all of us in the secretariat, certainly for the Security Council," he said.<br /><br />Responding to whether a no-fly zone was discussed at the meeting, Pascoe said it was among the several issues that were part of a "serious and interactive discussion" on the role of the Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office in face of the Libyan crisis.<br /><br />Last month, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution slapping sanctions on the Libyan regime, which includes a complete arms embargo, an asset freeze and a travel ban on strongman Muammar Gaddafi and his loyalists, and a referral to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.<br /><br />US President Barack Obama had yesterday discussed about the creation of a no-fly zone with UK Prime Minister David Cameron during a telephonic conversation.<br /><br />The two leaders "agreed to press forward with planning, including at NATO, on the full spectrum of possible responses, including surveillance, humanitarian assistance, enforcement of the arms embargo, and a no fly zone," a statement from the White House said. <br /><br />Puri, however, said that "it is clear to most people that implementing a new fly zone would involve military action including neutralising ground installations such as air defence systems like radars. This would be viewed as military intervention."<br /><br />The Indian envoy noted that the meetings of the Arab League on Saturday "would be critical for firming opinion" on the no-fly zone issue.<br /><br />"The no-fly zone is now the objective of the international community," Arab League envoy to the US Hussein Hassouna said.<br /><br />The United Nations is set to take a stand on the issue next week, while NATO has already launched a 24-hour air and sea surveillance of Libya.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>"Consideration for imposing a new-fly zone is still at a very preliminary stage," Hardeep Singh Puri, India's ambassador to the UN told PTI.<br /><br />"There has been some mention but without clarity on what the objective would be. There is even less clarity on whether assets of imposing a no-fly zone would come from," he said, stressing that no "formal proposal" was in front of the Security Council yet.<br /><br />Britain and France are preparing a draft resolution on a potential no-fly zone in the strife-torn North African nation.<br /><br />"It is a realistic possibility and it is a practical possibility. It has to have a clear legal base, it has to have the necessary international support, broad support in the region itself, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague had said.<br /><br />The Security Council was briefed yesterday on Middle East and North Africa in a closed-door session by the UN's top political official Lynn Pascoe.<br /><br />"As we see in the battles that have been going on, clear actions are being taken against the people there, both in Tripoli and other cities," he told journalists after the meeting.<br />"This is a matter of huge concern for all of us in the secretariat, certainly for the Security Council," he said.<br /><br />Responding to whether a no-fly zone was discussed at the meeting, Pascoe said it was among the several issues that were part of a "serious and interactive discussion" on the role of the Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office in face of the Libyan crisis.<br /><br />Last month, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution slapping sanctions on the Libyan regime, which includes a complete arms embargo, an asset freeze and a travel ban on strongman Muammar Gaddafi and his loyalists, and a referral to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.<br /><br />US President Barack Obama had yesterday discussed about the creation of a no-fly zone with UK Prime Minister David Cameron during a telephonic conversation.<br /><br />The two leaders "agreed to press forward with planning, including at NATO, on the full spectrum of possible responses, including surveillance, humanitarian assistance, enforcement of the arms embargo, and a no fly zone," a statement from the White House said. <br /><br />Puri, however, said that "it is clear to most people that implementing a new fly zone would involve military action including neutralising ground installations such as air defence systems like radars. This would be viewed as military intervention."<br /><br />The Indian envoy noted that the meetings of the Arab League on Saturday "would be critical for firming opinion" on the no-fly zone issue.<br /><br />"The no-fly zone is now the objective of the international community," Arab League envoy to the US Hussein Hassouna said.<br /><br />The United Nations is set to take a stand on the issue next week, while NATO has already launched a 24-hour air and sea surveillance of Libya.<br /><br /><br /></p>