Cameron: military action not out of the question in Libya

February 28, 2011

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Monday, 28th February 2011

Forsyth 4:57pm

The government's game of catch-up on Libya continues apace. Cameron came

to the Commons to update the House on the current situation. His main message

was now that we have the vast majority of our citizens out, we can have a

policy. Indeed, the government is today openly admitting that it was hamstrung

last week by the continuing presence of a large number of British nationals in

Tripoli.

Cameron told the House that `we do not in any way rule out the use of military

assets'; a dramatic shift from the tone of his entourage on last week's trip. At

the moment, the main military option on the table seems to be a no-fly zone and

Cameron said he had asked the MoD and the chief of the defence staff to examine

how this could be done. Considering how difficult it would be to get a no fly

zone through the UN, the easiest thing legally would be for the African Union to

order one and ask for Nato help in enforcing it. But that is far from certain to

happen.

The government at the moment is refusing to be drawn on whether it might

recognise the transitional council that has set itself up in the east of the

country. But, I understand, the evacuations from Benghazi have been done in

consultation with the rebel forces there.

Revealing, Cameron's list today of the four basic rights did not include the

right to free elections. I am told that the Prime Minister left elections off

the list because he thinks that `naïve neo-cons' put too much emphasis on

elections.

One other notable thing about today's statement was Miliband's presence in

the chamber; he normally avoids being there when his brother is speaking. After

bobbing up and down a couple of times, he was called by the speaker and asked a

rather long-winded question on Israel-Palestine.

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