EU to discuss how to execute political sentence to Gaddafi

BRUSSELS, March 11 (Itar-Tass) -- The European Union has already
passed a "political sentence" to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and will
discuss how to make him step down at an emergency summit on Friday.
EU members have to design a common strategy regarding the North
African country and measures to resolve the humanitarian crisis that
triggered massive migration to the south of Europe.
EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy estimated on Thursday a quarter
of a million people had fled Libya because of the civil war. He called to
ensure Libya's transition to democracy, the rule of law, and economic
recovery. The summit will call for an immediate end to violence against
civilians and will urge Gaddafi to quit.
It is clear European Union countries will denounce Gaddafi at the
summit and will back opposition insurgents as democracy fighters. But it
is unclear whether the summit will back the call of French President
Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron to recognize the
opposition National Council in Libya.
Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said most EU member-countries
do not back the call as they recognize states rather than interim
governments or groups of insurgents.
French decision to unilaterally recognize the Libyan National Council
on the eve of the EU summit surprised many member-countries. It was
perceived as pressure on other members in order to make them follow suit.
The pressure is likely to yield result as Gaddafi no longer enjoys any
support in Europe. The Portuguese foreign minister said Gaddafi's regime
is dead, while traditional Libya's ally Italy said it will wait with the
recognition of the opposition until the EU summit agrees a common position.
Thus, the European Union has actually issued a "political sentence" to
Gaddafi already before the summit. However the leader of Jamahiriya
continues to resist and threatens new massive armed assaults on insurgents.
According to unconfirmed reports, Sarkozy plans to propose to EU
members to deal airstrikes at military airfields to paralyze Gaddafi's Air
Force and provide military supremacy to the opposition.
NATO defense ministers reiterated on Thursday the military action of
the alliance against Libya was impossible without the approval of the UN
Security Council and other Arab nations. However France may join effort
with the United States and Great Britain to carry out its own air
operation against Libya. It will thus follow the scenario of the second US
war against Iraq which was not backed by NATO as an organization.
Many European experts described Sarkozy's plans as hasty and
contradicting the international law as any use of force demands approval
of the UN Security Council. However there is clear logic in French actions.
Civil war in Libya is dragging on and neither party can take the upper
hand. The situation may develop into a humanitarian catastrophe. To stop
the flow of refugees the war has to be stopped which means that one party
has to win. It is clear for the EU which party shall emerge victorious as
Gaddafi has already been called dictator and may become a military
criminal. Besides, Gaddafi is 70 years old and the issue of power
transition in Libya would be anyway on the agenda in the near future and
there are no guarantees it would take place peacefully without upheavals.
Proceeding from the logic France became the first EU country to drop
the status quo, support one side of the conflict, and launch a diplomatic
offensive on its EU partners in order to win maximum support to its
position.
The EU hopes to make Libyan leaders step down through international
pressure and sanctions. On Thursday EU foreign ministers approved the
second package of sanctions against Gaddafi. They include the freezing of
assets of the National Bank of Libya and of the sovereign investment fund
that manages oil export revenues, and of another three organizations that
"finance the regime."
However every day of the Libyan standoff decreases the chances that
Gaddafi will cede to pressure as he has practically nothing to lose.
Therefore, the idea of the no-fly zone, sea blockade and a military action
against Libya is voiced ever louder in European capitals.