In Egypt, French FM Says Libya Armed Intervention Would Be 'Absolutely Negative'

by Naharnet Newsdesk 06 March 2011, 18:43

Any international military intervention in Libya would have "absolutely negative" effects, France's Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Sunday during a visit to neighbor Egypt.

"France, as well as many of its partners, is not in favor of any Western military intervention in Libya, which would have absolutely negative effects," Juppe told a news conference in Cairo.

"Given the possibility that the fighting could become bloodier, we must prepare ourselves to react, and that's the reason why we have to plan for a flight interdiction zone over Libya," Juppe added.

But he stressed that any such plan would have to be on the basis of a U.N. Security Council mandate and also include the participation of the Arab League and African Union.

Earlier, addressing the French community in Egypt, Juppe said Europe and France cannot allow "the criminal folly" of Moammar Gadhafi in dealing with Libya's uprising.

Source: Agence France Presse

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