20110628
xinhua
TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi issued Monday by the International Criminal Court (ICC) aroused both opposition and support around the world.

The Hague-based ICC issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Senussi, Libya's head of intelligence, on charges of crimes against humanity.

The ICC prosecutors alleged they were involved in the killing of protesters when anti-government protests broke out in the North African country in February against Gaddafi's 41-year rule.

The Libyan officials rejected the court's authority even before the decision was read in The Hague, accusing the court of unfairly targeting Africans while ignoring what they called crimes committed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Afghanistan, Iraq "and in Libya now."

"The ICC has no legitimacy whatsoever. We will deal with it ... All of its activities are directed at the African leaders," government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told reporters Sunday.

South African President Jacob Zuma was extremely disappointed and concerned about the warrant after its release, according to South African presidential spokesman Zizi Kodwa.

Kodwa said it was unfortunate that the ICC took such a decision while the African Union (AU), through its ad hoc High Level Committee on Libya, had done so much, adding the warrant undermined the committee's work.

On June 26, Zuma hosted the committee in Pretoria to discuss the implementation of the AU roadmap on Libya.

After that meeting, the AU leaders said Gaddafi had agreed to stay out of negotiations on ending Libya's four-month political crisis.
The Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) welcomed the ICC warrant.

"Justice has been done" with Gaddafi's arrest warrant for crimes against humanity, NTC chief Mustafa Abdel-Galil told a news conference in the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

"We will do all we can to bring Gaddafi to justice," he said, adding that "if anyone hides him, they will be tracked down and brought to justice."

The United States said the ICC had spoken about the need for "justice and accountability" by issuing the warrant for Gaddafi.

"Our view is that the actions of the security forces and the Gaddafi regime that are highlighted in the court's decision underscore the gravity of what we have been witnessing and what the coalition has been trying to prevent in Libya," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said at a news briefing.

"The U.S. believes that the decision to refer the case to the ICC was the right decision," Nuland said.

"With regard to whether this hurts or helps, it doesn't change the fact that Gaddafi's got to take the message that it's time to go," she added.

White House spokesman Jay Carney called the court's move another indication that Gaddafi "has lost his legitimacy," saying "it is another step in this process of holding him accountable."

The European Union (EU) also welcomed the ICC warrant.

"The European Union fully supports the International Criminal Court, which plays a key role in the promotion of international justice," said a declaration issued by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

"Putting an end to impunity for the perpetrators of these crimes contributes to the prevention of such crimes," it said.

The ICC's move came as the NATO-led air bombing on Libyan government targets entered its 100th day.

Lynn Pascoe, UN under secretary-general for political affairs, told the UN Security Council that with NATO's air cover, the Libyan opposition forces have a "halting" upper hand now in their fight against Gaddafi's forces.

Pascoe said that although an agreement was still far from being concluded, the beginning of a negotiation process was underway over conflict-torn Libya.

"The nascent negotiation process must be given space to grow and bear fruit," Pascoe said.

He urged the international community to deliver a consistent, clear and coherent message of a political solution to both parties.

Meanwhile, Canada's newly appointed Foreign Minister John Baird paid a visit to Benghazi, the stronghold of Libya's opposition.

The trip aimed to get a firm grip on how well the opposition will actually govern the country if Gaddafi is deposed, the Canadian media said.

"Canada wants to be a part of the important transition," Baird said.

Baird spent half a day in Benghazi, where he met NTC leader Jibril.

Canada recently joined the European countries in recognizing the NTC as the legitimate representative of Libya.