New Zealand Foreign Minister McCully welcomes no-fly zone, but says it could be too late

New Zealand Foreign Minister McCully welcomes no-fly zone, but says it could be too late

2011-03-18 12:55:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully on Friday welcomed the United Nation Security Council's approval of a no-fly zone over Libya, but said it could too late to be effective.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 calls for the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya, banning all flights in the airspace of the Northern African nation. It also allows military intervention to enforce the ban, and calls to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of Libyan government attack.

"While it is a necessary measure I am only concerned it will be a case of too little too late," McCully said soon after the UN vote. Other officials from a number of countries have also criticized the United Nations for being too slow to react while Libyan government forces cracked down on anti-government protesters.

McCully said it is 'disturbing' that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is 'waging war on his own people', using aircraft and heavy artillery on unarmed civilians and the poorly armed forces that have risen up in support of the popular movement for change in Libya.

"This man has shown for many years that he is irrational and self-absorbed. We know now that he has no compunction in killing his own people to hang on to power," McCully said. "It is very significant that this resolution has the support of the Arab League which called for the imposition of a No Fly Zone earlier this week."

McCully called on leaders in the region to not sit back while "a leader of a neighboring state butchers his own people." The Foreign Affairs Minister also welcomed the assets freeze of the Libyan government.

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