Proposed Libyan no-fly zone

The proposed Libyan no-fly zone is a no-fly zone (NFZ) that has been proposed to be set up over Libya during the 2011 uprising in the country. Contingency planning for such a NFZ in underway under the auspices of the United Nations, NATO and by independent countries, such as the United Kingdom and France.
The idea has gained support from the Arab League.
Proposal
Calls for a NFZ over Libya has come from several independent sources, and no one final plan for how a NFZ should be implemented currently exists.
On February 21, 2011, Libyan deputy Permanent Representative to UN Ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi was "calling on the UN to impose a no-fly zone on all Tripoli to cut off all supplies of arms and mercenaries to the regime."
On February 28, Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom proposed the idea of a no-fly zone to prevent Gaddafi from airlifting mercenaries and using his military aeroplanes and armoured helicopters against civilians.
On March 7, US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder announced that NATO decided to step up surveillance missions of E-3 AWACS aircraft to 24 hours a day. On the same day it was reported that one UN diplomat confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that France and Britain were drawing up a resolution on the no-fly zone and it go before the UN Security Council as early as this week.
As of March 9, 2011, the United States has naval forces positioned off the coast of Libya, as well as forces already in the region - including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Canada has dispatched a naval frigate to the area, reinforcing the display of western power. “We are there for all inevitabilities. And NATO is looking at this as well … This is taken as a precautionary and staged measure,” signaled Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has expressed the Canadian Air Force's readiness to contribute to setting up a no-fly zone should the UN and NATO come to such a decision.
On March 9, 2011, the head of the Libyan National Transitional Council, Mustafa Mohamed Abud Al Jeleil, "pleaded for the international community to move quickly to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, declaring that any delay would result in more casualties".
Challenges
An act of war
According to former United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense, Jed Babbin, the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya would be "an irresponsible act of war" against the country.
At a congressional hearing, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that "a no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses ... and then you can fly planes around the country and not worry about our guys being shot down. But that's the way it starts."
Foreign Minister of France Alain Juppe has stated that "intervening means waging war".
If the United States were to enforce a NFZ over Libya, it is unclear if it would require an authorization from Congress to use force or authorization by the United Nations. Any such authorization was not granted by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 adopted on February 26, 2011.
Lack of UN mandate
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that any decision to impose a no-fly zone over Libya should be taken by the United Nations and "not the United States". British Foreign Secretary William Hague has stated that plans to impose no-fly zone over Libya need "clear legal basis strong international support". Foreign Minister of France Alain Juppe has said that there should not be any international intervention into the conflict in Libya without prior approval from the United Nations. Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen has stated that "the imposition of a no-fly zone would ... require a new United Nations mandate."
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the idea of imposing limits on Libyan air space as "superfluous" and Russian NATO ambassador Dmitri Rogozin has stated that: "A ban on the national air force or civil aviation to fly over their own territory is still a serious interference into the domestic affairs of another country".
Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Li Baodong, has also said that: "We believe that this political crisis should be resolved through peaceful means such as dialogue" and that China "respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Libya."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that: "The tough issues about how and whether there would be any intervention to assist those who are opposing Libya is very controversial within Libya and within the Arab community".
Complexity of operation
According to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, a no-fly zone would be "an extraordinarily complex operation to set up."
Questionable effectiveness
US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder has stated that: "t's important to understand that no-fly zones...really have a limited effect against the helicopters or the kind of ground operations that we've seen, which is why a no-fly zone, even if it were to be established, isn't really going to impact what is happening there today. And the kinds of capabilities that are being used to attack the rebel forces and, indeed, the population will be largely unaffected by a no-fly zone."
According to Richard Haass, "there is no reason to believe a no-fly zone would be decisive. In fact, we have every reason to believe it would not be, given that aircraft and helicopters are not central to the regime's military advantages." Haass argues that regime could defeat the opposition with no air support, simply by exploiting its advantages in terms of ground forces.
Risk of co-option
Richard Haass argues that:
According to Haass, removing Gadaffi by force could "easily set in motion a chain of events in which a different strongman, with the backing of a different tribe, took over" or create a power vaccuum exploitable by al Qaeda and similar groups.

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