France, Britain to ask UN for Libya arms embargo

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

PARIS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Friday a French-British draft resolution at the United Nations would ask for an arms embargo, financial sanctions and a request to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to indict Libyan leaders for crimes against humanity. "There is a French-English project ... we have asked for a resolution on a total arms embargo, sanctions and asking the ICC to proceed over crimes against humanity," Alliot-Marie told France Info radio. The sanctions could include financial sanctions and travel bans, she said. The U.N. Security Council plans to meet later on Friday to discuss the French-British draft proposal. Alliot-Marie said there were French naval ships in the area and did not "exclude" a no-fly zone over Libya, though that depended on foreign nationals being repatriated. No vote is expected on the draft elements of a sanctions resolution when the 15-nation council convenes at 3 p.m

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/sns-rt-libya-franceun-updlde71o0bz-20110225,0,7463079.story

---

France, UK draft sanctions text on Libya violence
Fri Feb 25, 2011 5:44am GMT
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council plans to meet on Friday to receive a French-British draft proposal for sanctions against Libyan leaders over the deadly attacks on demonstrators there, council envoys said.

No vote is expected on the draft elements of a sanctions resolution when the 15-nation council convenes at 3 p.m. (2000 GMT), Western diplomats said on Thursday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they expressed hope for speedy negotiations on the text and a vote sometime next week.

At the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will brief the council on the latest developments in Libya, the French and German U.N. missions said in separate statements.

So far, Russia and China, permanent veto-wielding council members that are usually reluctant to support U.N. sanctions against any country, have not objected to considering sanctions against Libya. But the diplomats said they expected Moscow and Beijing would attempt to dilute any proposed punitive steps.

more: http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE71O01D20110225

[maddezmom]

1. Germany Calls for Travel Ban, Asset Freeze on Libya’s Qaddafi

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called for a travel ban on Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi’s regime and an asset freeze targeting the ruling family, saying rising violence made sanctions “unavoidable.”

Westerwelle said he’ll call for another emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to consider the measures. The minister also called the European Union’s inability to agree on sanctions “too hesitant” and urged more action.

“Sanctions are unavoidable considering this extraordinary violation of human rights, the extraordinary use of violence,” Westerwelle said in an interview today on Deutschlandfunk radio.

Qaddafi clung to power in Libya as spreading violence threatened to plunge the country into civil war. The U.S. said it was discussing measures against the regime, which reinforced its defense of the capital of Tripoli with tanks as opponents consolidated control of the country’s oil-rich east.

more:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-25/germany-calls-for-travel-ban-asset-freeze-on-libya-s-qaddafi.html