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EU and NATO to meet on Libya after raging battles
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EU and NATO to meet on Libya after raging battles
	
		
        
	     
	        
                
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	                By Maria Golovnina and Michael Georgy
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - NATO and the European Union begin talks on Thursday on a possible "no-fly" zone over Libya after some of the fiercest fighting of the three-week-old uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.
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A rebel fighter fires a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in front of a gas storage terminal during a battle on the road between Ras Lanuf and Bin Jiwad, March 9, 2011. 
                                            
Credit: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic
                                        
                                    
                                
 
 
        
By Maria Golovnina and Michael Georgy
        
        TRIPOLI | 
        Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:16am EST
        
    
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - NATO and the European Union begin talks on Thursday on a possible "no-fly" zone over Libya after some of the fiercest fighting of the three-week-old uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.
A Libyan insurgent said rebels had retaken the heart of Zawiyah, the closest city to Gaddafi's stronghold of Tripoli, from government forces on Wednesday, after it appeared to change hands twice during the day in a hard-fought battle.
The Pentagon said it was preparing a "full range" of military options for Libya, including a no-fly zone, with the plans to be discussed by NATO ministers at talks in Brussels, while military officers said a zone could be set up quickly.
Rebel forces have appealed to Washington and its allies to impose a no-fly zone to deny Gaddafi's forces the advantage of using warplanes and to prevent him moving troops by helicopter.
During fighting in the east, an engineer told Al Jazeera on Wednesday he had seen warplanes strike oil facilities, apparently the first time such a complex was hit. The attack sent a towering column of black smoke and flames into the sky.
"If requested and if needed we can respond at very short notice. There are a lot of sensitivities in the region as regards what might be considered foreign military interference," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Sky News.
Italy, whose bases could play a critical role in any military action, has said it will back any decisions taken by NATO, the EU or the United Nations, clearing the way for U.S. naval forces based in Naples to be deployed if needed.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made it clear imposing a no-fly zone is a matter for the United Nations and should not be a U.S.-led initiative. Russia and China, permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, are cool to the idea, which could entail bombing Libyan air defenses as a first step.
LINE IN THE DESERT
Counter-attacks by Gaddafi loyalists suggest the flamboyant leader, in power for four decades, will not go as quietly or quickly as fellow leaders in Egypt and Tunisia did in a tide of popular unrest rolling across the Arab world.
An upsurge of fighting appears to have cemented a de facto split of the oil-producing desert state, Africa's fourth biggest, into a government-held western area around Tripoli and an eastern region held by ragged but dedicated rebel forces.
One of Gaddafi's sons has warned of civil war among Libya's tribes if his father steps down.
EU foreign ministers also meet to discuss North Africa in Brussels on Thursday, with the focus on how the bloc can support the process of transition in Egypt and Tunisia, while using sanctions and other means to apply pressure to Gaddafi.
Two members of Libya's opposition council visited the European Parliament on Wednesday and made clear they wanted EU moral support, political recognition and a no-fly zone that protects the territory they hold, but did not want any form of foreign military intervention.
The White House on Wednesday defended its response to the turmoil in Libya, insisting it had taken dramatic action and rejecting criticism that it had been too cautious.
	
	
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We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters.
Comments (1)
    
        Jocomus wrote:
        
Those who take Gaddafi’s promise for granted that he will keep Libyan oil fields and installations intact even in face of a civil war are simply day-dreaming. It is simply a fantasy he won’t attack them.
When loyalists cannot overtake the strong-hold of the rebels, the pro-Gadi camp is likely to destroy the enemy’s wealth i.e. oil facilities.
    
Mar 10, 2011 2:06am EST  --  Report as abuse
    
    
    
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