CAIRO — The Arab League on Saturday endorsed the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya and recognized the fledgling rebel movement seeking to topple Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy as the country’s legitimate government, increasing pressure on Western powers to intervene in what increasingly resembles a civil war.
The move represents an extraordinary step by the leading Arab organization, historically reluctant to sanction a member, and provided fresh evidence of the reformist spirit recasting long-stagnating Arab politics. It was also a risky step for Arab leaders who face domestic dissent of their own.
The vote ratchets up pressure on the Obama administration and its European allies to act on behalf of Libya’s rebels, who are under heavy assault from Khadafy’s far better-armed forces. NATO has called Arab League support a precondition for military action in Libya, and the vote Saturday gave momentum to proposals for a protective no-fly zone over the oil-rich country.
“The main priority right now is to stop the deadly situation,” said Amr Moussa, the Arab League’s secretary general, in announcing the decision after 5 1/2 hours of closed-door deliberations.
The Arab League acted on the eve of a potentially decisive week of international diplomacy surrounding events in Libya. The White House welcomed the vote.
“The international community is unified in sending a clear message that the violence in Libya must stop, and that the Khadafy regime must be held accountable,” the statement said. “The United States will continue to advance our efforts to pressure Khadafy, to support the Libyan opposition, and to prepare for all contingencies, in close coordination with our international partners.”
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton travels to the region Monday for meetings with representatives of the rebels’ provisional government, the National Transitional Council, based in the eastern city of Benghazi. NATO officials will meet midweek to consider a no-fly-zone proposal, as France and Britain draft a resolution authorizing the mission for possible U.N. Security Council review.
The Arab League vote called on the Security Council to approve the no-fly zone as quickly as possible. But the Obama administration, which is already fighting two wars in Muslim countries, faces several issues in Libya that complicate military intervention.
The administration knows little about Libya’s rebels or what kind of government would replace Khadafy’s 41-year-long rule. It also has to contend with a de facto civil war on the ground that makes intervention more urgent and complex by the day.
Military analysts differ on whether a no-fly zone would change the balance of power in Libya, now shifting swiftly toward Khadafy’s forces. Much of the fighting is being done by ground forces, including tank-fired artillery, but the government has used air power to bomb rebel positions.
Adopting the recommendation of a no-fly zone, however, would probably send a message to Khadafy and his inner circle, that the United States and its European allies intend to intensify pressure to achieve their declared goal of ousting the Libyan leader.
