Busuttil urges ‘action’ to stop violence

Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil yesterday urged the EU to pass “from words to action” to stop the violence in Libya. Intervening during an urgent debate on Libya at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Dr Busuttil said the ongoing violence should be stopped immediately.

He told MEPs Europe was already engaged in a very good exercise on a humanitarian level although this had to be stepped up. He described what is happening in different Arab countries “a dream come true”. “But this dream could turn into a nightmare unless the EU did its part to support the transition to democracy with massive help,” he said.

“The people got rid of the dictators but we must help them also get rid of the system of dictatorship”, Dr Busuttil insisted.

The call for “action” comes amid increasing speculation the EU and Nato are working on a plan to impose a no fly zone on Libya, which would have to be preceded by a surgical military intervention on Libyan anti-aircraft military installations.

Foreign Policy chief, Catherine Ashton said the EU was not excluding anything at this stage and announced she was considering sending a military mission to Libya to help evacuation efforts and address the humanitarian crisis.

Lady Ashton said the EU was looking “on a prudent planning basis” at a “possible Common Foreign and Security Policy engagement”. “That engagement would be to support current evacuation and humanitarian efforts,” she explained.

Work on planning the mission, which would need careful analysis and “proper answers on questions of mandate, resources and objectives”, was “ongoing this week”, she told MEPs.

The EU’s top diplomat spoke ahead of extraordinary meetings in Brussels of the EU’s foreign ministers today and EU leaders tomorrow. The possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya is expected to be discussed during the meetings in Brussels. Britain and France, are already preparing a UN Security Council resolution to authorise it.

According to sources, “an endorsement of the 27 EU member states to a ‘no fly zone’ is highly desirable.”

The EU has, over the past weeks, repeatedly urged Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to go.