Eager calls for military action against Libya, coming primarily from France and Britain, are being rebuked by the rest of the European Union, as well as by NATO’s leadership, which cautioned it lacks the legal authority to impose the no-fly zone without a UN authorization.
France in particular appears to be unusually eager for military attacks on Libya, with reports that President Nicolas Sarkozy was pushing for immediate bombings of key sites in Gadhafi-held territory.
Belgian Foreign Minister Vanackere insisted that France’s call for actions appeared to have little support, and indeed a number of nations were opposed. This would likely include Germany and Italy, which have both spoken out in opposition to getting sucked into a military conflict in Libya in recent weeks.
NATO spy planes are conducting constant surveillance of Libyan air space now, but there appears to be enough opposition to escalating into attacks to keep NATO from acting unilaterally, and Russia and China would likewise presumably oppose the attacks on the nation.
