By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 5, updated -- After bragging about air-dropping weapons to rebels in Western Libya, France now claims that others can step in. French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet was quoted July 5 that the rebels' “autonomy allows them to establish relations with external partners, including when it comes to equipping themselves in self-defense.”
There is a UN Security Council arms embargo on Libya, on all sides of the conflict. Inner City Press on Tuesday morning outside the Council asked the chairman of the Libya Sanctions committee, Portugal's Permanent Representative Cabral, if there has been any move to consider if France's admitted actions violated the embargo.
“We are expecting the Russians to raise it today,” Cabral told Inner City Press before going back into the Council for a closed door meeting, initially on July's program of work under the new German presidency.
Since France's admission, Gaddafi's forces say they have intercepted weapons from Qatar meant for the rebels. With Qatar having just acquired the Presidency of the UN General Assembly, among other posts and events, things could get interesting. Watch this site.
Update of 11:52 am -- after the consultations broke up, Western sources said that French ambassador Gerard Araud argued at length why dropped arms into Libya is “notwithstanding” legal, and claimed there was little opposition. The Russian delegation told Inner City Press “we cannot agree,” and said they asked Libya sanctions chair Cabral to convene a meeting of the committee.
Cabral himself told Inner City Press that no meeting has been scheduled and he doubts that one will before UN part time envoy Al Khatib comes to brief the Security Council on July 11. We'll see.
Update of 12:52 pm -- At German Permanent Representative Wittig's 12:30 press conference about the Security Council's program of work during his month as president, Inner City Press asked him about the morning's closed door consultations at which France's dropping of weapons was discussed. He acknowledged it was discussed but said that there was “no agreement.”
So even a meeting of the Sanctions Committee on this issue was blocked? July 11 will be al Khatib.
