French president Nicolas Sarkozy today his country’s air force is ready to attack the tanks and planes of Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy to defend the people of Benghazi.
Mr Sarkozy was speaking at the end of an emergency summit in Paris at which world powers, including the US and Britain joined the Arab League to make the final preparations for military intervention in Libya authorised by the United Nations.
Paris has taken a leading role in coordinating the world's response to the crisis in Libya and try to halt Col Gadafy's attacks on rag-tag and poorly armed rebel forces.
Backed by British prime minister David Cameron, Mr Sarkozy convened today's talks in a matter of hours after pushing the UN Security Council hard this week to back a resolution allowing possible military action and a no-fly zone over the Libya.
The summit at the Elysee Palace was attended by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa, EU president Herman van Rompuy and representatives of Arab states including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan and Morocco.
Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and Spain’s Jose Luis Zapatero - who have both offered the use of air bases on their territory - were also attending, along with Germany, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Canada, Greece, the Netherlands and Poland.
The French president said that, despite a ceasefire announcement yesterday, Col Gadafy’s forces had flouted the UN’s demand for an immediate end to violence against his people.
“Our airforce will oppose any aggression by Col Gadafy against the population of Benghazi,” he said. “As of now, our aircraft are preventing planes from attacking the town. As of now, other French aircraft are ready to intervene against tanks, armoured vehicles threatening unarmed civilians.”
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said after the summit that British, French and Canadian fighter planes could carry out strikes against Libyan forces later today ahead of wider Nato action.
Mr Cameron said Col Gadafy had broken the ceasefire and the time had come for action. "What is absolutely clear is that Gadafy has broken his word, he has broken confidence and continues to slaughter his own civilians," he said.
"This has to stop, we have to make him stop and make him face the consequences. I think action must take place urgently."
German chancellor Angela Merkel said world powers were united that violence in Libya must end, but confirmed her country would take no part in military action. Berlin abstained on Thursday in a UN Security Council resolution authorising a no-fly zone over Libya and ruled out any military involvement.
However, Mrs Merkel noted that her government has offered German AWACS aerial reconnaissance troops could take over duties in Afghanistan, freeing up US forces to do the same job over Libya.
A communique issued after the talks described the actions of the Libyan regime as “intolerable”.
It said that, since February 15th, the Libyan people had been peacefully expressing their rejection of their leaders and their aspirations for change. “In the face of these legitimate requests coming from all over the country, the Libyan regime has carried out a growing brutal crackdown, using weapons of war against its own people and perpetrating against them grave and massive violations of humanitarian law," it said.
The communique demanded that Col Gadafy and “those executing his orders” must immediately end acts of violence against civilians, withdraw from areas taken by force and “return to their compounds”.
Earlier today, French foreign minister Alain Juppe met EU foreign minister Catherine Ashton to discuss the EU's role in implementing the UN resolution.