Global pressure on Gaddafi to quit deepens

From Fazle Rashid | Published: March 01, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

From Fazle Rashid
New York, Feb 28: International pressure on Libyan leader Gaddafi to step down immediately intensified Sunday. The White House, State Department and Pentagon held talks with their European and NATO counterparts about how to proceed against Libya. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, will meet with US President Barack Obama at the White House today to discuss the deteriorating situation in Libya. There was no follow-up action in the United Nations Sunday as diplomats are weighing possible next steps. Obama administration is planning to disrupt Gaddafi's communication network to prevent him from ordering anti-people measures. Army loyal to Gaddafi, diplomats and senior officials are deserting the eccentric Libyan leader. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US is reaching out to rebels to offer any kind of assistance. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was high time for Gaddafi to quit. Barack Omana also called Gaddafi to step down immediately. The European Union (EU) will announce its own punitive measures against Gaddafi today. The Human Rights Council based in Geneva will hold a meeting today of foreign ministers. Hillary Clinton will attend it. The question is how many more people are going to be massacred between now and when the "mad dog" leaves. Merkel said human rights violations nowhere in the world will go unpunished. The UN has appealed to all member states to freeze all assets of Gaddafi and members of his family. The US and several European nations have shut down their embassies in Libya. The UN Security Council referred the state of violence in Libya to the International Criminal Court. Gaddafi has no friend now. The Arab League, OIC, China and Russia who usually detest any punitive measures that will increase the hardship of the people on the street have turned their face against the dictator. Tension and unrest is spreading like an inferno.