Countries slam Western air raids against Libya

A rebel fighter looks at burning vehicles belonging to forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi after an air strike by coalition forces, along a road between Benghazi and Ajdabiyah March 20, 2011. (Xinhua/Reuters)

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Some countries Monday blasted the ongoing West-led military operation against Libya government forces, saying the air raids went beyond the UN resolution and must be scrapped immediately.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin severely criticized the U.S. role in the "Odyssey Dawn" operation against Libya.

"The use of force against other countries became a steady trend in the U.S. policy," Putin noted, adding this trend was "disturbing."

He also said the UN resolution "is, surely, flawed and lame...as it allows intervention in a sovereign country."

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution Thursday to impose a no-fly zone over Libya and authorize all necessary measures, excluding ground troops, to safeguard Libyan civilians.

A number of Western powers including France, Britain, the United States, Denmark and Italy have launched a string of air strikes on Libyan targets since Saturday.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe reprimanded the West for bombing Libya, saying some countries manipulated the UN resolution to bombard Libya.

"The West is bombarding Libya and they are doing it in a callous way. They don't care who dies and actually they want (Muammar) Gaddafi to die," he told reporters.

Mugabe said the African Union and the Arab League had indeed been cheated by the West.

"Our people could not have voted for the destruction of Libyan lives. It's undoing the Libyan people. I regret it very much," he said, noting Libya was being attacked by the West for its oil.

Bolivian President Evo Morales told a press conference that it was unaccepted that the Western coalition, under the pretext of protecting Libyan civilians, bombed and destroyed the country.

He urged the United Nations to order an immediate end to the military operation.

He described the intervention as "a crime, an assault and an aggression."