Arab League calls for emergency meeting to discuss Libya, Syria crises

Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa has announced an emergency Arab League Council meeting to discuss the crisis in Libya as violence spread with Western air strikes in Libya.

An enraged Gaddafi ordered attack on rebels while Western air strikes continued to pound forces loyal to the government.

Moussa said the council would also discuss the situation in Syria and Yemen.

He said members of the League are disturbed by the situation in Yemen and the number of casualties in the country. He described the situation as "dangerous", adding that he has discussed it with Abu Bakr Al-Kurby, the foreign minister of Yemen.

Moussa questioned the need for a bombardment of positions in Libya by coalition forces, saying they risked killing civilians.

Moussa said later that the Arab League respected the UN resolution calling for military action in Libya.

"The Arab League position on Libya was decisive and from the first moment we froze membership of Libya ... Then we asked the United Nations to implement a no-fly zone," he told a news conference with Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general.