http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/08/state_department_arming_libyan_opposition_would_be_illegal
State Department: Arming Libyan opposition would be illegal<http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/08/state_department_arming_libyan_opposition_would_be_illegal> Posted By Josh Rogin <http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/blog/11505> Tuesday, March 8, 2011 - 11:29 AM Share <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=20> The State Department believes that supplying any arms to the Libyan opposition to support their struggle against Col.* Muammar al-Qaddafi* would be illegal at the current time. "It's very simple. In the U.N. Security Council resolution passed on Libya, there is an arms embargo that affects Libya, which means it's a violation for any country to provide arms to anyone in Libya," State Department spokesman *P.J. Crowley* said on Monday. Crowley denied reports<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/americas-secret-plan-to-arm-libyas-rebels-2234227.html>that the United States had asked Saudi Arabia to provide weapons to the Libyan opposition, and also denied that the United States would arm opposition groups absent explicit international authorization. Pressed by reporters to clarify whether the Obama administration had any plans to give arms to any of the rebel groups in Libya, Crowley said no. "It would be illegal for the United States to do that," he said. "It's not a legal option." Crowley's blanket statement seemed to go further than comments on Monday by White House spokesman *Jay Carney*, who said, "On the issue of ... arming, providing weapons, it is one of the range of options that is being considered." Crowley maintained that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1970<http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/2011/157194.htm>, which imposed international sanctions on Libya that included an arms embargo, applied to both the Qaddafi regime and the rebel groups. "It's not on the *government* of Libya: It's on Libya," he said. Britain and France are drafting<http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/07/us_ambassador_to_nato_no_fly_zone_wouldn_t_help_much>a new Security Council resolution that would authorize a no-fly zone over Libya. The United States still might support such a resolution, but U.S. Ambassador to NATO *Ivo Daalder* argued on Monday that a no-fly zone wouldn't likely do much to protect<http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/07/us_ambassador_to_nato_no_fly_zone_wouldn_t_help_much>Libyan civilians anyway. The United States and its international partners have been reaching out to the Libyan opposition, with some mixed results<http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/08/brits-play-blame-game-over-botched-spy-mission-to-libya/>, but the State Department still has not officially withdrawn its recognition of the Qaddafi regime despite President* Barack Obama's *public call for him to step down. "As we've said, we think that the Gaddafi regime, having turned its weapons on its people, has lost its legitimacy," Crowley noted. "But as I said last week, there are also legal issues involved in recognizing or de-recognizing governments." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
