Inside Story

Steps towards peace?

As unrest in Libya continues, international leaders met in London to discuss the country’s political future.

As the unrest in Libya continues, divisions are emerging over whether or not to arm opposition fighters.

On Tuesday, foreign ministers and leaders from over 40 countries and organisations including the UN, the Arab League, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the European Union and NATO, met for what was billed as the London Conference on Libya to discuss the country’s political future.

The US and the UK seem ready to supply arms but NATO is not. Is this move even legal? Will arming anti-Gaddafi forces work? And if it does not succeed, what are the potential consequences?

Inside Story, with presenter Jane Dutton, discusses with: David Mack, the former US deputy assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs and a former US ambassador to Libya; Abdullah al-Ashal, the assistant to the former Egyptian foreign minister; and Ali Essawi, the foreign minister for the Libyan Transitional National Council.

This episode of Inside Story aired from Wednesday, March 30, 2011.