Riyadh Says Decision on Libya Fly Ban Up to Arab League

Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that a decision to support imposing a no-fly zone over Libya was up to the Arab League, not only Gulf countries.

"It is an issue that is the responsibility of the Arab League," Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told a press conference in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

Arab League foreign ministers will meet Saturday to discuss ways to stop Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from bombing and strafing his own citizens who are battling the loyalist military for control of the north African country.

Foreign ministers of the six Gulf Cooperation Council states -- which include Saudi Arabia and are all members of the 22-member Arab League -- released a statement Monday calling on the United Nations to enforce a no-fly zone.

But Faisal appeared to distance Saudi Arabia from the GCC statement, saying that any such decision needed to be taken by the broader League.

He added however that all member countries shared the common aim to "protect the Libyans."

The League last week said it would reject any foreign military intervention in Libya.

A British-French resolution demanding a no-fly zone could go before the U.N. Security Council as early as this week, diplomats said Monday.

Britain and France have made the most aggressive calls among Western powers for a no-fly zone to hamper Gadhafi's offensive and deny his airforce the freedom to attack rebels and civilians.

Any move toward collective military action of any kind is likely to face tough resistance from China, Russia and other members of the Security Council.(