Security Council Convenes on Libyan Crisis

[chill_wind]

Source: FDL (David Dayen)

UN Security Council Convenes on Libyan Crisis

David Dayen Tuesday February 22, 2011 7:03 am

Moammar Gadhafi (you just have to go with one spelling of his name and stick with it) made a bizarre
appearance last night for 15 seconds on state-run Libyan TV, telling the public that he hadn’t fled to Venezeula and not to “trust those stray dog channels.” But the damage to his regime in Libya has been done. The UN Security Council will meet in closed session today to look at the Libyan crisis, amidst calls from Gadhafi’s own diplomats for him to stop down, and from Libya’s deputy UN ambassador to impose a no-fly zone and stop a genocide. Human rights groups had been calling for Security Council action as reports of massacres streamed in:

"Runways at Benghazi airport are reported by Egyptian authorities to have been destroyed in the violence. The country’s second city has been the scene of alleged massacres in recent days. The death toll in Libya passed 250 on Monday after six days of unrest, but this is a conservative estimate. The International Federation of Human Rights estimated the death toll at 300 to 400.

Parts of Tripoli were attacked by fighter jets and helicopter gunships overnight. Twenty-six people also died in the eastern city of Al Bayda as it came under fire from forces using aircraft and tanks, according to one eyewitness report <...>

The Arab League is also to hold an emergency meeting in Cairo. At least seven Libyan ambassadors have resigned in protest at the killing, although other senior diplomats remained in post while appealing for Gaddafi to step down.

Read more: http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/02/22/security-council-convenes-on-libyan-crisis/

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