French fighter aircraft are policing a no-fly zone over Libya protecting the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has said.
Sarkozy's comments on Saturday mark the first mission of an international military force in support of the uprising by Libyan rebels against Muammar Gaddafi, the country's long-time leader.
Speaking after talks in Paris between world leaders to discuss UN-sanctioned military intervention, Sarkozy said that French aircraft were ready to strike at aircraft and tanks belonging to Gaddafi's forces that might be used to attack civilians.
But he said that the fight in Libya belonged to the Libyan people.
"If we intervene on the side of Arab nations it is not to impose on the Libyan people, but because of a universal conscience hat cannot tolerate such crimes," he said.
"We do it to protect the civilian population from the madness of a regime that, but killing its own people, has lost any legitimacy."
Youcef Bouandel, a professor of international relations at Qatar University, said that Sarkozy's statement was "well measured".
"He chose his words very carefully to take the moral high ground, making reference to conscience, the rights of the Libyan people ... and most importantly getting the Arab nations on board," he told Al Jazeera.
Five French aircraft - two Rafale war planes, two Mirage fighter jets and an AWACS surveillance aircraft - were involved in the mission, the Reuters news agency reported, citing a French military source.
Military intervention
Several Arab leaders attended the Paris meeting, along with an African Union representative and an array of European leaders including Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, although Germany is not expected to participate in any action.
Paris has taken a leading role in co-ordinating the world's response to the situation in Libya and the attempt to halt Gaddafi's attacks on the poorly armed rebel forces.
Sarkozy convened Saturday's talks just hours after the UN Security Council passed a resolution allowing possible military action and a no-fly zone over the Libya.
Following Sarkozy's speech, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said the US would bring its "unique capabilities to bear" in Libya but made clear that the US had no intention of sending ground troops into Libya.
"We have every reason to fear that left unchecked, Gaddafi will commit unspeakable atrocities," she said, but did not give specific information about what US forces would be deployed.
In an open letter earlier, Gaddafi warned: "You will regret it if you dare to intervene in our country."
Early on Saturday, Gaddafi's forces moved on the rebels in Benghazi, despite calling a ceasefire in response to the UN Security Council resolution.
The move appeared to be an attempt to pre-empt Western military intervention.
Aircraft deployed
Colonel Brian Lees, a former British defence attaché to Saudi Arabia, said it would be important for intervention forces to act before the Libyan military was able to take cover among civilians in Benghazi.
"The important thing is to take out the military resources threating Benghazi, and that, I'm sure, is what they will focus on," he told Al Jazeera.
"To do that they may have to make sure that the Libyan air force is grounded and that the Libyan anti-aircraft capability is reduced."
Backing French aircraft, Denmark has sent six F-16 fighter jets to NATO's air base on the Italian island of Sicily and the UK could also deploy Tornado jets and Typhoon fighters from the British Akrotiri air base in Cyprus.
Italy offered the use of its military bases for the UN-backed military action.
"Italy, for the moment, places its bases at the disposition [of the UN-backed action] and through our co-ordination of operations we may be asked to make our assets available also," Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's prime minister, said.
Libyan state television said Libyans, including women and children, were holding a sit-in at the Tripoli international airport, apparently to deter any attempt to bomb the area.
Footage showed hundreds of mostly young men on the runway carrying green flags and signs in support of the Libyan leader.
pa imali su ih da ulete u irak i da obrišu patos sa silom od više stotina hiljada vojnika, a ne smeju libiju koja ima 10 puta manje vojske. Poenta je što se nikome ne upušta u avanturu poznatu kao kopnena akcija. To povlači veliko angažovanje, dug proces angažovanja i veliku cenu rata. Ako procene da će iz vazduha postići ono što žele, neće sigurno ići na kopnenu akciju.
