Military action to be launched against Libya

French President Nicolas Sarkozy delivers a declaration after the Paris summit on Libya crisis, in Paris, France, March 19, 2011. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Leaders from some Arab countries and main Western powers, at their Paris summit Saturday, announced the start of military action against Libyan government forces.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, after the emergency summit, said France had already taken military action against Libya. "For the moment and already, our planes are over the city preventing air attacks," he said at a press conference, adding other French planes were also ready to intervene against any threat to unarmed Libyan civilians.

"Our determination is total," the president declared after seeing off important decision-makers attending the meeting, including U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Muammar Gaddafi "has ignored the warning" of military intervention, Sarkozy said, referring to the statement issued last night by the United States, France and Britain calling a complete cease fire in Libya unless they would implement military action.

After the emergency working lunch in the Elysee Palace, the leaders decided to carry out "all necessary measures, including military" to enforce a UN Security Council resolution that imposed a no-fly zone over Libya and authorized all necessary measures to protect Libyan civilians.

"We are determined to take all necessary action, including military, consistent with UNSCR 1973, to ensure compliance with all its requirements," said a statement issued after the summit.

The world powers are "determined to act collectively and resolutely to give full effect to these decisions," according to the statement, underlining that this commitment is "for the long term."

Nevertheless, Sarkozy also said the door for diplomacy will reopen if Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi stops attacking civilians. "There is still time for the Colonel Gaddafi to avoid the worst without delay and without reservation," the French president said, calling him to comply with what the international community urged.

The leaders urged Gaddafi's force to withdraw "from all areas they have entered by force, return to their compounds and allow full humanitarian access," the statement added.

A French official said Mirage and Rafale fighters were flying over the eastern city of Benghazi and could strike tanks of the Libyan military.

Earlier, several French reconnaissance planes were flying over Libya, a French military source said.

The warplanes took off in the afternoon from their base in eastern France. The reconnaissance mission will last all Saturday afternoon and the planes encountered no problems after overflying Libyan territory several hours.

Some other sources said before the meeting that after France took the lead to initiate the military action, Britain, Canada and the United States would join later on and Arabian nations would also follow suit, but their ways of participation were still unclear.

Earlier Saturday, Libyan government forces stormed into the rebel capital of Benghazi, apparently ignoring a proclaimed cease- fire and potentially complicating any allied military action.