Libya: UN approves no-fly zone as British troops prepare for action By Robert Winnett, Jon Swaine and Richard Spencer

 Western forces could launch bombing raids against the Libyan regime as early as Friday after the UN backed international military action.

William Hague: No-fly zone will protect Libyan people

 

 

 The first raids, possibly conducted by unmanned drones, could happen within hours if Colonel Gaddafi acts on his threat to "show no mercy" to rebels in Benghazi. 

 The RAF could become involved in any operation by this evening, according to British sources. However, the raids may be spearheaded by an Arab nation such as Qatar or the UAE.

 Last night, Col Gaddafi threatened to launch retaliation attacks against passenger aircraft in the Mediterranean if foreign countries launch air strikes against Libya.

 The Libyan regime said that "any foreign military act" would expose "all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea" as targets for a counter attack.

 The warning was sounded within hours of the American Government formally backing a joint British and French initiative for a no-fly zone and other military action to be taken against Col Gaddafi's regime.

 Last night, the UN met and endorsed a resolution which authorised the world to take "all necessary measures" to prevent attacks on Libyan civilians by the Gaddafi regime.

 It also enforced a no-fly zone to prevent air attacks, strengthened an arms embargo against Tripoli and reinforced a freeze on the financial assets of Gaddafi and his aides.

 The resolution, which was proposed by the US, Britain and Lebanon, caused a split among leading powers, with China, Russia, Germany, India and Brazil all abstaining from voting.

 It marked a dramatic escalation in the international response to the month-long Libyan crisis – with signs that diplomats were at odds over a military response at the beginning of the week. However, Col Gaddafi's brutal crushing of the uprising alarmed many members of the UN Security Council.

 While Britain and the US were at pains to stress that the resolution ruled out an "occupying force", they raised the prospect of more assistance to rebel forces seeking to overthrow Gaddafi.

 Mark Lyall Grant, the British ambassador to the UN, said the world "must allow the people of Libya to determine their own future free from the tyranny of the Gaddafi regime".

 "The situation in Libya is clear. A violent and discredited regime that has lost all legitimacy is using weapons of war against civilians". He strongly condemned Gaddafi's attack on Benghazi, "a city that has a history dating back 2,500 years."

 William Hague, Foreign Secretary, said the UN resolution was necessary "to avoid greater bloodshed and to try to stop what is happening in terms of attacks on civilians".

 Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, said that the "world is living through one of its great revolutions that changes the course of history" but "the Libyan people's will has chopped down to its feet by Colonel Gaddafi".

 "We cannot let these warmongers do this," said Mr Juppe. "Each hour that passes raises the weight on hour shoulders. We should not wait".

 Celebratory gunfire rang out across Benghazi last night.

 However, in a statement, the Libyan Defence Ministry warned of swift retaliation against foreign intervention.

 "Any foreign military act against Libya will expose all air and maritime traffic in the Mediterranean Sea to danger and civilian and military [facilities] will become targets of Libya's counter-attack," it said.

 In a radio address, Col Gaddafi also urged rebels in Benghazi to surrender, warning: "We are coming tonight … There won't be any mercy." He said that every house in the city would be searched.

 The escalating crisis in Libya led to a renewed focus on the country last night amid criticism that the American President had been lacklustre in coordinating international action.

 However, both David Cameron and Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, last night led an intense round of behind-the-scenes diplomacy to secure international support for military action. Mrs Clinton is currently in north Africa.

 British officials indicated that detailed planning had already taken place and that military assets could be in place "within hours" if necessary. French officials also said that bombing raids could be launched imminently if Col Gaddafi did not back down.

 Yesterday, in a Parliamentary debate on possible action, politicians from all sides voiced support for intervention.

 Alistair Burt, the Foreign Office minister, said: "It would be a sad signal if Gaddafi was able to secure victory at the point of a gun and again dominate and terrorise his people."

 Any military action authorised by the UN is likely to prove controversial as both the German and Italian governments have spoken out against the move to halt the month-long civil war in Libya.

 Yesterday, residential areas of Ajdabiyah, a strategic town on the coast road to Benghazi, were the scene of heavy fighting and about 30 people were reported to have been killed.

 On the approaches to Ajdabiyah, burnt-out cars lay by the roadside while Libyan government forces showed the foreign media artillery, tanks and mobile rocket launchers.

 In Libya's third city, Misrata, about 130 miles east of Tripoli, rebels and residents said they were preparing for a new attack by Libyan troops, who had shelled the coastal city overnight.

©telegraph.co.uk