Cameron: Europe united over Libya campaign

British Prime Minister David Cameron declared Europe united this afternoon on the military campaign in Libya, the need to kick-start economies, and on stress tests for all nuclear plants by the end of the year.

He was speaking after an EU summit clouded by a Nato wrangle over command of the Libya offensive and a Portuguese economic crisis which threatened to de-rail the EU’s economic revival hopes.

But the operational structure for Libya was settled as EU leaders met, and the prospect of an unwelcome Portuguese bail-out put off until later.

That left the Prime Minister to emerge from the talks renewing demands on Colonel Gaddafi to stand down and on his “henchmen” to desert.

Before returning to London Mr Cameron declared: “My message to Gaddafi, in absolute co-ordination with what Hillary Clinton has said, is that he should leave, he should go.

“I don’t believe there is any future for Libya and the Libyan people with him at its helm, so he should go.”

The Prime Minister continued: “And the message also to those around him, is that every day you work with this dictator – who has now announced two ceasefires and broken both of them, and continues to murder his own civilians - you are at risk of the International Criminal Court and you are at risk of being found guilty of war crimes.”

Buoyed by an EU summit declaration endorsing military action in line with last week’s United Nations Resolution, Mr Cameron went on: “The people who are around him (Gaddafi) and are obeying his orders should realise that time is up. Don’t obey his orders, walk away from your tanks, leave the command and control that you are doing, give up on this regime because it should be over for him and his henchmen.”

The Prime Minister praised the bravery of UK military forces in action over Libya, insisting the current campaign would continue until civilians were “safe and secure from attack”.

He added: “The situation of civilians in Misrata and Zintan is grave. But we have moved quickly and decisively over the last week and I think it was right to do so.

“At this summit Europe has come together on Libya.”