No-fly zone still an option on Libya: Rudd
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says a no-fly zone over Libya remains one of several options being canvassed by a number of countries. Mr Rudd has just attended an emergency meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva where he spoke with both US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary William Hague. He confirmed a no-fly zone, air yeezy aimed at reducing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's air power, was still under consideration. Advertisement: Story continues below "Gaddafi has shown no restraint so far in deploying military assets against his own civilian population," Mr Rudd told ABC Radio. "So all options are on the table - this is one of them." Defence Minister Stephen Smith added that Australia would move cautiously on any intervention. He noted the importance of abiding by international law. But intervention was likely necessary, he said, given Colonel Gaddafi's lack of response to "rational argument". "Colonel Gaddafi is not necessarily the most rational international leader that we've seen, if I can use that understated expression," Mr Smith told ABC Television. "So, while the simplistic solution is for Colonel Gaddafi to walk away, no one is expecting that to occur." The Human Rights Council will move to suspend Libya later on Tuesday, a move that Australia would support, Mr Rudd said in his formal address overnight.