leader Muammar Qadaffy... a proud Arab institution for 42 years ...
continue to pummel rebels in the east.
The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference
OIC is an international organisation with a permanent delegation to the UN, with 57 member states. It represents all countries with substantial Moslem populations (as opposed to the Aräb League, which excluded members not of the Master Race) except those member countries block from joining. These include India, which has more Mohammedans than does Pakistain, whose membership is vetoed by Pakistain...
said it would hold an emergency meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Jeddah on Saturday to discuss Libya. "The meeting will discuss the latest developments and the resolutions to be adopted to address the tense situation in that country," the OIC general secretariat said.
Britain, La Belle France and Leb have circulated to the 15-nation council a draft resolution to authorize a no-fly zone to halt Libyan government
The three distributed the draft on Tuesday after the vaporous Arab League called on the council over the weekend to establish a no-fly zone.
French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud told news hounds ahead of a closed-door session to discuss the draft that he hoped for a vote on the resolution by the end of the week, if possible by Thursday evening. Asked if that timetable was achievable, Araud said, "Of course it's realistic." French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told French Parliament that he was confident they would strike a deal with Security Council members to secure a no-fly zone.
Lebanese Ambassador Nawaf Salam told news hounds that one concern raised by Germany and others -- the apparent clash between the Arab League's call for a no-fly zone and its opposition to foreign military intervention -- was not a contradiction. He said Arab nations would help enforce any no-fly zone authorized by the council.
"There will be a significant Arab participation," he said, without giving details. Salam also called for a swift vote.
Meanwhile,
...back at the cleverly concealed hideout of the conspirators...
Qadaffy's forces used tanks and artillery on Wednesday to try to retake the city of Misrata, the last big rebel stronghold in western Libya, residents said. But rebel fighters in Misrata, on the Mediterranean coast about 200 km east of the Libyan capital Tripoli, said they had stalled a ground attack on the city and seized some tanks from pro-Qadaffy units.
Qadaffy's son, Seif Al-Islam, warned rebels that government troops were closing in on Benghazi and urged them to leave the country. "Within 48 hours everything will be finished," he said in an interview with Lyon, La Belle France-based EuroNews television.