France has failed to persuade its G8 partners to support its move for a no-fly zone over Libya, a setback to any chances of swift action to halt Col Muammar Gadafy's advance against rebel forces.
In a blow to France's efforts to use the crisis in Libya to reassert its leadership in international diplomacy, a draft communique for the Group of Eight meeting made no mention of a no-fly zone over the North African nation.
The flight restrictions sought by France and Britain were blocked by Russia and Germany during today's talks, a delegation source told Reuters, asking not to be identified.
"Military intervention is not the solution. From our point of view it is very difficult and dangerous," German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle later told reporters.
"We do not want to get sucked into a war in North Africa and we would not like to step on a slippery slope where we all are at the end in a war," he said.
The G8 communique, a draft of which was obtained by Reuters, merely stated that Libyans had the right to democracy and that Col Gadafy faced "dire consequences" if he ignored citizens' rights, and urged the UN Security Council to increase pressure on him, including through economic measures.
The draft also stressed the importance of the Arab League's involvement in any international action taken in Libya.
France and Britain have led calls for an internationally enforced no-fly zone to slow the advance of Col Gadafy's troops, who are using airpower and tanks to crush a revolt by poorly armed rebels against 41 years of authoritarian rule.
Halfway through the first meeting of France's G8 presidency, which has been dominated by Libya, foreign minister Alain Juppe admitted to a stalemate that echoed a lack of consensus within the UN security council on the issue.
"So far I have not convinced them," he told Europe 1 radio.
Instead, foreign ministers in Paris discussed options including establishing "safety zones" in Libya and ramping up sanctions on the Opec oil exporter.
The Arab League called at the weekend for a no-fly zone, but the United States wants more clarity on what exactly that would entail, and Russia says it has questions about the idea.
British foreign secretary William Hague said the G8 powers agreed on the need for further measures but not on what they might be. He stressed any action would be agreed through the security council.
"There is common ground here in the G8 and while not every nation sees eye to eye on issues such as the no-fly zone, there is a common appetite to increase the pressure on Gadafy," he told reporters, mentioning tighter sanctions as one idea. "We are clear here at the G8 that there is a need for further measures, a need to respond urgently."
British prime minister David Cameron "thinks we need to bring more pressure to bear on the regime," his spokesman told reporters in London. "He thinks we need to be considering very seriously the option of a no-fly zone," though this would be a "difficult" discussion, the spokesman said.
G8 officials conceded late yesterday that they would not recommend a no-fly zone but left open the possibility of pressing the security council to discuss measures including a flight ban.
France's failure to secure a stronger G8 agreement will irk President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is intent on showing leadership on Libya to repair the damage to France's image from its foreign policy blunders during the revolt in Tunisia.
Mr Juppe - appointed by Sarkozy last month when Michele Alliot-Marie quit over her clumsy handling of Tunisia - said that while the international community dragged its feet on action, Col Gadafy's forces were advancing.
"If we had used military force last week ... maybe the reversal that went against the opposition (forces) would not have happened," he said.
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton met privately in Paris late yesterday with Mahmoud Jebril, a member of the Libyan National Council, the opposition group that is seeking international support for its fight against Col Gadafy.
Reuters