Berlusconi's decision to join the NATO-led action against Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's regime has caused uproar among members of the Northern League.

"If there's no vote, that means he wants a break-up of the goverment," said the party's leader Umberto Bossi in a message to his coalition ally.

Until recently Rome limited its involvement in Libya to the offer of the use of air bases on its territory by NATO forces and only took part in reconnaissance and monitoring a UN-mandated no-fly zone.

Berlusconi announced on Monday Italy would be stepping up its contribution after heavy fighting in the besieged port of Misrata claimed numerous civilian victims.

Despite Berlusconi's promise that the raids were aimed only at specific targets, Bossi repeated his firm opposition to the raids.

"You will only kill people," he said.

The Northern League strongly opposes the aerial bombings over fears they will provoke massive migration into Italy, which has already seen tens of thousands of North African refugees fleeing unrest there since January.

Aware of the risk of destabilising the government, Berlusconi has agreed that the League propose a motion during a vote on Libya set to take place in parliament on Tuesday.

The six-point text calls for "a certain deadline" for the action by Italian bombers and the exclusion of the use of ground troops.

According to commentators, the Northern Leagues's stance echoes Italian public opinion which is strongly opposed to the raids and to military intervention in Libya in general.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, a senior Northern League member, said he was surprised to find his party "in the role of the Left", referring to a motion supporting the raids by the left-wing Democratic Party.

UN pulls international staff out of Tripoli
United Natons (AFP) May 1, 2011 - The UN pulled its staff out of Tripoli on Sunday as the security situation in the Libyan capital deteriorated after air strikes apparently killed several members of Moamer Kadhafi's family.

"The 12 United Nations international staff in Tripoli have temporarily left the capital and are in Tunisia," said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky in New York.

The Italian embassy and the residences of the Italian and British ambassadors were torched hours after it emerged that Kadhafi's son Seif al-Arab and three of his grandchildren had been killed in a NATO air strike.

No one was in the buildings at the time but smoke could still be seen rising from them on Sunday afternoon.

There was also an "incursion" into a UN building in Tripoli, Stephanie Bunker, the spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP.

After news spread about the strikes, several people forced their way into the unoccupied compound and took some vehicles, Bunker said, adding that all the UN staff were "safe and accounted for."

Nesirky said the UN would continue to review its security situation.

"We hope to be able to return to Tripoli as soon as the situation allows; in the meantime, the redeployed staff will cover western Libya from Tunisia," he said.

UN national staff remain in the country, and international UN staff remain in Benghazi, the main rebel-held city in eastern Libya, Nesirky added.

The establishment of the UN humanitarian presence in Tripoli was agreed by emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos in a deal struck with the Libyan government on April 17.

The accord will "enable us to move around and see exactly what is happening for ourselves," Amos said at the time.

Rome and London both confirmed their missions had been targeted, and British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced the expulsion of the Libyan ambassador in response.

In London, Hague said: "I condemn the attacks on the British embassy premises in Tripoli as well as the diplomatic missions of other countries."

"The Vienna Convention requires the Kadhafi regime to protect diplomatic missions in Tripoli. By failing to do so that regime has once again breached its international responsibilities and obligations," Hague said..

"I take the failure to protect such premises very seriously indeed."

The Italian foreign minister denounced what it called "grave and vile actions."

Britain had recalled its envoy to Tripoli at the start of the conflict in February, and Italy shut down its mission in March.

Earlier Sunday, Italy boosted security checks, a day after Kadhafi threatened retaliation over the Rome government's decision to join the NATO-led air strikes.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said Kadhafi's threat to "bring the battle to Italy" should not be under-estimated, but Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the threats had "nothing credible" about them.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called NATO's targeting policy "in line" with the UN resolution authorizing the Libya campaign with the declared aim of protecting civilians.

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News