UN Council slaps sanctions on Libyas Gadhafi

The U.N. Security Council moved as a powerful bloc Saturday to try to halt Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's deadly crackdown on protesters, slapping sanctions on him, his children and top associates, the Associated Press reported.

Voting 15-0 after daylong discussions interrupted with breaks to consult with capitals back home, the council imposed an arms embargo and urged U.N. member countries to freeze the assets of Gadhafi, four of his sons and a daughter. The council also backed a travel ban on the Gadhafi family and close associates, including leaders of the revolutionary committees accused of much of the violence against opponents.

Council members additionally agreed to refer the Gadhafi regime's deadly crackdown on people protesting his rule to a permanent war crimes tribunal for an investigation of possible crimes against humanity.

The council said its actions were aimed at ``deploring the gross and systematic violation of human rights, including the repression of peaceful demonstrators.'' And members expressed concern about civilian deaths, ``rejecting unequivocally the incitement to hostility and violence against the civilian population made from the highest level of the Libyan government.''

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated council members for the unified vote, saying it ``sends a strong message that gross violations of basic human rights will not be tolerated.''

``I hope the message is heard, and heeded, by the regime in Libya,'' Ban said.

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant called the vote ``a powerful expression of the deep concern, indeed the anger, of the international community.'' U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said it was ``a very powerful message to the leadership of Libya that this heinous killing must stop and that individuals will be held personally accountable.''

French Ambassador Gerard Araud said the unanimous referral of the case to the tribunal signaled a new commitment by the international community to its responsibility to protect citizens. ``A wind of liberty and change is sweeping throughout the Arab world and I think the Security Council succeeded in responding to this new era of international relations,'' he said.

Top EU diplomat Catherine Ashton said the European Union ``fully endorses this resolution and will implement the restrictive measures as a matter of urgency.'' Ashton noted that the EU had already started work on its own sanctions, and formal adoption is expected soon.

The sanctions were welcomed by Libya's deputy U.N. ambassador, Ibrahim Dabbashi, whose entire mission is among Libyan diplomats around the world who have renounced Gadhafi.

Dabbashi said the council vote will engender ``moral support for our people who are resisting'' and could help defeat ``this fascist regime still in existence in Tripoli.'' He called on the Libyan armed forces to abandon Gadhafi and throw their support to the protesters.

Richard Dicker, director of Human Rights Watch's international justice program, was impressed by the council's unanimous vote and said the action ``sends a powerful signal on behalf of justice for the people of Libya and all others victimized by mass force and violence.''

The Libyan uprising that began Feb. 15 has swept over nearly the entire eastern half of the country, snatching entire cities in that region out of the government's grasp. Gadhafi and his backers continue to hold the capital Tripoli and have threatened to put down protests aggressively.

There have been reports that Gadhafi's government forces have been firing indiscriminately on peaceful protesters and that as many as 1,000 people have died.

Council members did not consider imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, and no U.N.-sanctioned military action was planned. NATO also has ruled out any intervention in Libya.

Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri noted his country is not an ICC member, and would have ``preferred a calibrated and gradual approach,'' but decided to accept the referral because other council members believed it would help end the violence in Libya.

There had been doubts that China, a permanent council member with veto power, would join the vote if the referral to the tribunal was included. But Chinese Ambassador Li Baodong said his country was concerned about the large number of Chinese citizens who work in Libya.

Earlier on Saturday, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Gadhafi needs to do what's right for his country by ``leaving now.''

The White House on Friday announced sweeping new sanctions and temporarily abandoned its embassy in Tripoli as a final flight carrying American citizens left the embattled capital. The U.S. put an immediate freeze on all assets of the Libyan government held in American banks and other U.S. institutions. The sanctions also freeze assets held by Gadhafi and four of his children.

Britain and Canada, meanwhile, temporarily suspended operations at their embassies in Tripoli and evacuated their diplomatic staff.

Gadhafi is no stranger to international isolation.

U.N. sanctions were slapped on his country after suspected Libyan agents planted a bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988, killing 270 people, mostly Americans.

Libya accepted responsibility for the bombing in 2003 and pledged to end efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. and Libya in 2009 exchanged ambassadors for the first time in 35 years, after Libya paid about $2.7 billion in compensation to the families of the Lockerbie victims.

In Geneva on Friday, the U.N. Human Rights Council called for an investigation into possible crimes against humanity in Libya and recommended Libya's suspension from membership of the world body's top human rights body. (AP)

안보리 리비아 제재 결의 만장일치 채택

무기 금수, 카다피 가족.측근 16명 여행금지.자산동결 민간인 공격 '反인도 범죄' ICC 회부

유엔 안전보장이사회는 26일(현지시간) 무아마르 카다피 리비아 국가원수와 그 자녀 및 핵심 측근에 대한 여행 금지 및 해외자산 동결 등을 골자로 한 강경 결의를 만장일치로 채택했다.

특히 안보리는 카다피 정권의 무차별적인 진압으로 1천여명이 숨진 최근 리비아 상황을 반인도적 범죄에 해당하는 것으로 보고, 이를 국제형사재판소(ICC)에서 즉각 조사에 착수토록 요구하는 내용을 결의에 포함시켰다.

최근 중동과 북아프리카의 정정 불안 및 시위 사태와 관련해 유엔 안보리가 결의를 채택한 것은 리비아가 최초다.

15개 회원국 만장일치로 통과된 결의 1970은 "평화적인 시위에 대한 폭력 진압을 포함한 중대하고 조직적인 인권 위반을 개탄하고 민간인 사망에 깊은 우려를 표명하면서 리비아 정부 최고위층이 지시한 민간인에 대한 적대 행위와 폭력을 단호히 거부한다"며 즉각적인 폭력 중단과 리비아 국민의 정당한 요구를 이행하는 조치를 취할 것을 촉구했다.

또 카다피의 아들과 딸 이번 유혈진압과정에 개입한 군과 정보기관 고위 관리 등 16명에 대한 여행금지 조치와 카다피 본인과 자녀 등 6명에 대한 자산 동결 조치가 포함됐다.

당초 초안에는 여행금지 대상이 22명이었지만, 문구 협의 과정에서 16명으로 축소됐다고 유엔 관리들은 전했다.

이와 함께 유엔 회원국들에게 무기와 화력, 군용 차량, 장비, 치안 장비 등 군수품 일체와 그 부속품을 비롯해, 무장 용병 제공 등 군사 활동이나 계획, 유지 또는 무기 사용과 관련된 기술적 지원이나 훈련, 재정 등 기타 지원을 공급, 판매 또는 제공하지 않도록 필요한 조치를 즉시 취하도록 하는 금수조치를 단행했다.

또한 결의는 "현재 리비아에서 벌어지고 있는 광범위하고 조직적인 민간인에 대한 공격은 반인도범죄에 해당할 수 있다"며 2월 15일 이후 리비아에서 발생한 사태를 ICC가 즉각 조사에 착수토록 결정했다.

ICC는 집단살해죄, 전쟁범죄, 반인도적 범죄를 저지른 개인을 형사처벌하기 위한 상설 국제법정으로 지난해 말 북한의 연평도 포격과 천안함 침몰사태가 전쟁범죄에 해당하는지를 가리기 위한 예비조사에 착수해 관심을 끌었다.

이날 안보리 회의에서는 영국과 프랑스의 적극적인 주장에도 불구하고, 중국과 인도, 브라질, 포르투갈 등이 즉각 회부보다는 향후 여지를 남겨 놓는 문구를 사용할 것을 주장하면서 ICC 회부에 반대한 것으로 알려졌으나 10시간가량 지속된 논의 끝에 모든 회원국이 이 조항에 찬성했다고 유엔 관리들은 전했다.

지금까지 유엔안전보장이사회가 ICC에 사건을 회부한 것은 수단 다르푸르 내전에서 발생한 잔혹행위가 유일하며, 당시 미국은 기권했었다.

수전 라이스 유엔주재 미국대사는 안보리 회의후 "이는 수치를 모르는 리비아 현 지도부를 향한 구속력 있는 제재"라면서 "리비아 정부가 즉각 민간인에 대한 살상을 중지하라는 분명하고도 강력한 경고"라고 말했다.

전날 안보리 전체회의에서 안보리의 `구체적 행동'을 촉구했던 반기문 유엔 사무총장은 안보리 결의 채택 직후 성명을 통해 "리비아의 민간인 살상을 용납할 수 없다는 국제 공동체의 일치된 입장을 보여준 것으로 환영한다"면서 "이는 리비아의 폭력 중단에 중대한 한 걸음이 될 것"이라고 말했다.(연합 뉴스)