Britain says Libya no-fly zone must have regional support

Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed Monday that Britain was working to draft a UN resolution on a no-fly zone over Libya but said it must have regional support and a "clear legal basis". "At the UN Security Council we are working closely with partners on a contingency basis on elements of a resolution on a no-fly zone, making clear the need for regional support, a clear trigger for such a resolution and an appropriate legal basis," Hague told lawmakers in the House of Commons.
A diplomat at the United Nations told AFP that Britain was drafting the resolution with France and could put it to the Security Council this week.
Answering questions in parliament, Hague said the Libyan rebels had "already asked explicitly for a no-fly zone" but he stressed that "many conditions should be attached" in trying to implement it.
"There should be a demonstrable need that the whole world can see. There must be a clear legal basis for such a no-fly zone, and there must be clear support from the region, from the Middle East region, from the north African region as well as from the people of Libya themselves," he said.
"I think those are the necessary conditions for such a no-fly zone to be created."