World leaders gather in Paris to discuss action in Libya

Clinton, Sarkozy, Cameron, Merkel, African Union, and Arab leaders participate; strikes could begin immediately after meeting, source says.

By REUTERS
Group of 8 (G8) in paris (R) 311 (photo credit: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
Group of 8 (G8) in paris (R) 311
(photo credit: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
PARIS - World leaders gathered in Paris on Saturday to discuss a coordinated military intervention in Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi was defying the West with a final push into the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy met for three-way talks an hour before a 1:30 p.m. (1230 GMT) wider meeting on a UN-mandated military intervention.
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A source close to the discussions said that a coordinated intervention in Libya could launch air strikes as soon as the talks end.
The source said that France, Britain and Canada could take part jointly in an initial intervention. The United States could participate later on and any participation by Arab nations would come after that, he said.
Several Arab leaders will be at the talks along with an African Union representative and an array of European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, even though Germany is not expected to participate in any action.
Paris has taken a leading role in coordinating the world's response to the crisis in Libya and try to halt Gaddafi's attacks on rag-tag and poorly armed rebel forces.
Backed by Cameron, Sarkozy convened Saturday's talks in a matter of hours after pushing France's UN Security Council partners hard this week to back a resolution allowing possible military action and a no-fly zone over the Libya.
Click for full Jpost coverage of turmoil in the Middle East
Click for full Jpost coverage of turmoil in the Middle East
Sarkozy will address the media after the meeting, at around 3:30 p.m. (1430 GMT) and Clinton, Cameron and Merkel are also expected to make statements.
Gaddafi's advance into Libya's second city of 670,000 people, in spite of having pledged a ceasefire on Friday, appeared to be an attempt to pre-empt Western military intervention, which diplomats say will come only after Saturday's talks.
The French and British governments declined to react to the latest attacks in Libya ahead of the Paris talks, but a French government source said the international community must act fast. "Everything is ready (to act) but the decision is now a political one. It's clear we have to move quickly," he said.
Earlier on Saturday, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe met EU Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton to discuss the EU's role in implementing the U.N. resolution voted late on Thursday.
Early on Saturday, ambassadors from the 28 NATO states met in Brussels to discuss plans for possible NATO involvement in enforcing a "no-fly" zone over Libya, but a decision was unlikely to be made before Sunday, a NATO diplomat said.
The diplomat said the session was adjourned to await the outcome of the Paris talks and ambassadors planned to meet again after that. "Obviously the pressure is building to do something now," he said.