Gulf states on March 7 called for a no-fly zone to be imposed on Libya, and for an urgent Arab League meeting to discuss the situation in Libya. “(The foreign ministers)…called on the … (UN) Security Council to protect Libyan civilians, including through a no-fly zone,” said a statement issued after the ministers’ meeting, read by Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council which groups regional countries. The ministers also called for an urgent Arab League meeting to discuss Libya.
President Barack Obama said the US and its NATO allies are still considering a military response to violence in Libya. Obama said the US will stand with the Libyan people as they face “unacceptable” violence. He said he has authorised millions of dollars in humanitarian aid. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain and some other countries are working “on a contingency basis” on a UN Security Council resolution allowing for a no-fly zone over Libya.
Hague told the British Parliament there were “credible reports” that Libyan government forces had used helicopter gunships against civilians. “At the UN Security Council, we are working closely with partners on a contingency basis on elements of a resolution on a no-fly zone, making clear the need for regional support, a clear trigger for such a resolution and an appropriate legal basis,” Hague said.