Top of the Agenda: Diplomats Meet to Find Libya Solution from the CFR

Top of the Agenda: Diplomats Meet to Find Libya Solution

Diplomats comprising the so-called Libya Contact Group (al-Jazeera),

 

including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, today to discuss a roadmap for the ongoing NATO-led military operation in Libya. U.S. officials said the meeting would seek to strengthen ties with the rebel National Transitional Council, the organized opposition seeking to overthrow leader Muammar al-Qaddafi.

Prior to the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a political solution (Reuters)

 

was needed to resolve the Libya situation, as reports emerged that Qaddafi may be ready to give up power if he can strike a suitable deal.

France, which has taken the political lead in the Libya operation, said it had begun informal talks (DeutscheWelle)

 

with Qaddafi's government, and that a political solution is "beginning to take shape."

Meanwhile, Italy reportedly offered to release €100 million in credit (WSJ)

 

to Libya's rebels, even as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a former ally of Qaddafi, has criticized the NATO mission.

Analysis:

Libya's rebels have gained the upper hand, but it remains to be seen what they will actually do if they finally defeat Qaddafi, says the Economist.

 

The International Criminal Court's warrants for Qaddafi's arrest stir debate about whether they will facilitate or hinder his demise and about the effectiveness of the ICC itself, says this CFR Analysis Brief

 

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NATO's success in Libya shows how important and effective the alliance remains, writes Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

 

in Foreign Affairs.