Gaddafi fighting back at rebels out to eject him
Civil war continues to rage in Libya. Protesters there want to get rid of the country's leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after the success of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.
Yet Gaddafi, who is Africa's longest-serving leader, remains firmly in control. He's using his army to try and put down the uprising. He has also hired fighters from nearby countries to join the battle for him.
More than a thousand rebels and civilians have been killed. The Western powers feel they should do something to stop the slaughter, but they are not sure exactly what to do.
They don't want to seem to be interfering in Libya's internal affairs. The West has considered imposing a 'no fly zone' on the country because Gaddafi is using his air force to bomb protesters. Keeping his planes on the ground would likely save lives. Yet these countries need the United Nations to agree, or else they will be acting illegally.
In addition, some Western powers are already tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan. They may not want to pay for another war.
Libya is much bigger than Iraq and enforcing a no-fly zone would need about 70 aircraft a day. Any enforcement would mean that radar planes and refuelling planes would also have to be used.
Then there is the question of where to set up bases. Fighter planes use a lot of fuel and cannot fly too far from their base, even with mid-air refuelling. While the US has an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, it is not close enough.
Experts think the best place for a base would be in Italy. That would, however, require Italy's permission. Italy was once the colonial power that ruled over Libya.
