Col Muammar Qaddafi's air strikes against his own people have forced the hand of the international community. At the start of the conflict weeks ago, we argued that a no-fly zone over Libya could become a necessity. Now, it seems it has.
GCC foreign ministers issued a strong statement in favour of the no-fly zone yesterday; Libyan rebels have already called for foreign intervention. At the same time, the United States has shown that it is willing to consider military options.
This step cannot be taken lightly. Establishing air superiority could involve strikes against air defence targets on the ground, risking civilian casualties and further entanglement. But the risk of doing nothing now exceeds the risk of intervention.
This is the most forceful foreign policy decision taken by the GCC on a major international conflict, at least since 1991. Member countries are gravely concerned about events in Libya and united in their response. Unity among Arab countries and their allies is essential to any action.
The GCC is the first international bloc of countries to demand a no-fly zone. This sets an example for other Arab nations, Tunisia and Egypt included, as well as international powers. Multilateral support is required for military intervention to be a politically viable option.
There is a tragic example of delaying decisive action in similar circumstances. The ceasefire that ended the First Gulf War 20 years ago this month prohibited the Iraqi government from flying fixed-wing aircraft, but not helicopter gunships. Both Kurds in the north and Shiites in the south were left unprotected. Operation Provide Comfort was eventually implemented, but its delayed ratification meant that over one million Kurds were displaced and thousands lost their lives.
The US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq is a fresh and painful memory for many around the region that cautions against intervention, but the international coalition and multilateral effort in 1991 to protect civilians from Saddam Hussein's armies provides a better parallel in the case of Libya. Citizens on the Arab street who have shown solidarity with recent protests are also more likely to back a mission on behalf of Libyan civilians.
"We call on the international community and in particular the Security Council to stand up to its historical responsibilities to protect this dear people," Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs, said at the GCC meeting on Monday.
The conflict in Libya is now undoubtedly a civil war. Defenceless civilians are suffering and atrocities, including executions, by Col Qaddafi's forces need to be a stopped. Emiratis, Arabs and the rest of the world all agree on this.
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
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MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
.
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Kill%20
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.