No-fly zone over Libya

No-fly zones have been designated over India’s Taj Mahal and Peru’s Machu Picchu to protect the two historical relics. The airspace over the White House and Congress in Washington, D.C., and Buckingham Palace and Whitehall in London are also off-limit zones for aircraft in the interest of national security. Korea also has a no-fly zone over its presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae. The U.N. Security Council declared the sky over Libya as a no-fly zone Thursday to stop Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from bombing pro-democracy protesters.

The first no-fly zone designated after the end of the Cold War was over Iraq from 1991 through 2003. After then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein bombarded Kurds in northern Iraq, the U.S., the U.K., France and Turkey declared the space over Iraq as a no-fly zone. Then U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali denounced the measure as illegal because the action was taken under a U.N. Security Council resolution. The first no-fly zone sanctioned by the Security Council was set up over Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1993 through 1995 to prevent Serbians from massacring Kosovans.

China and Russia, which have interests in oil field development and construction projects in Libya, shifted from opposition to abstention in the Security Council voting because of pressure from the Arab League. Beijing and Moscow caved in to international pressure after calculating their own interests only. No-fly zones have things in common with Korea’s Demilitarized Zone. If one side in a military confrontation violates a banned zone, it could face military retaliation from the other. There are no problems as long as the no-fly zone is not violated. No-fly zones are usually implemented when full-fledged military intervention is difficult.

U.N.-designated military units have the right to shoot down military aircraft flying over Libya. Before beginning surveillance activities by fighter jets, the units initiate an operation to strike Libya’s anti-aircraft defense system, which can attack U.N.-sanctioned aircraft. The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is moving toward Libya. The U.K. and France are also ready to join the U.S. If the last stronghold of Libyan rebels, Benghazi, falls, pro-Gadhafi forces might begin merciless retaliation and make “rivers of blood” as Gadhafi warned. Can the no-fly zone over Libya revive the North African country`s weakening pro-democracy movement?

Editorial Writer Song Pyeong-in (pisong@donga.com)