At a weekend meeting discussing the situation in Libya, the Arab League said it would ask the UN Security Council to authorize a no-fly zone over Libya. The League said that it opposed foreign military intervention in the country, but added that it would open up lines of communications with members of the Libyan opposition.
The United States lauded the call, calling it an “important step.” In a statement, the State Department said that “The international community is unified in sending a clear message that the violence in Libya must stop, and that the Gaddafi regime must be held accountable.”