Arab League reiterates support for Libya action

The Arab League chief whose criticism of the western campaign in Libya had provoked consternation among his allies has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to the UN resolution authorising military action.

Speaking at a news conference in Cairo with Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, Amr Moussa said the Arab League respected the UN resolution and had “no conflict with it.”

On Sunday Mr Moussa said military operations had gone beyond the no-fly zone that the organisation had called for, insisting that the Arab League wanted “civilians’ protection, not shelling more civilians.”

His comments sowed confusion in western capitals where officials rushed to stress that the air strikes designed to establish a no-fly zone and push Muammer Gaddafi’s forces away from civilian areas were allowed by the UN.

Arab officials also distanced themselves from Mr Moussa’s statement as Qatar became the first Arab country on the weekend to participate in the military action. Diplomats said the United Arab Emirates, which is supporting the coalition, is so far keen on maintaining a humanitarian assistance role, but this could still shift to a more military capacity.

An Arab League foreign ministers’ meeting to discuss the issue is set to take place Tuesday.

On Monday, Abdul Rahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah, secretary general of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, said that both Qatar and the UAE remained part of the international coalition, insisting that the Libya mission was not an “intervention” but an effort at “protecting the people from bloodshed.”

Libyan defectors, meanwhile, suggested that Mr Moussa had been speaking in a personal capacity, noting that he was a candidate for the presidency in Egypt and might have wanted to send a public warning to western powers to avoid civilian casualties.

“We will continue to work on the protection of civilians,” Mr Moussa said on Monday. “We urge everybody to take this into consideration in any military action.”

The Arab League’s decision to call for a no-fly zone was critical to winning American support for the UN resolution, amid concerns in Washington over launching a new war in the Muslim world.