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Africa North
UN starts talks to lift Libya no-fly zone
2011-10-23
UNITED NATIONS: Russia is proposing that the UN Security Council lift the no-fly zone it imposed on Libya and end its authorization of military action to protect civilians now that Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi has been killed.
I'm assuming these are formalities, since Qadaffy and most of Co. are warming their feet by the eternal fire and NATO has announced they're hanging it up on October 31st, which by my calculation is a week from now, give or take a day or two.
Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters after closed council consultations Friday evening that he had circulated a draft resolution on the matter among the group's 15 members.
As usual, the first question that should be asked is, "what are the Russians up to?"
Although NATO earlier Friday said it would start winding down its operation in Libya, Churkin said it was up to the council to end the legal authorization for the international military action it passed earlier this year. "Since it was the decision of the Security Council of the United Nations to impose the no-fly zone, it should be the decision of the Security Council of the United Nations to lift it," he said.

French Ambassador Gerard Araud and British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said more consultation with Libyan authorities is needed to ensure a smooth transfer of air traffic control to civilian officials.

"We share the view that we are now in the phasing out of the operation," Araud said after the council meeting. "It's technical, we have to work with Libyan authorities. We have to do it properly."

Lyall Grant said his country earlier in the day had consulted with Libyan authorities, who "made clear they didn't want a premature ending of the military authorization. So we want to proceed in a more measured way."
Posted by:Steve White

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