FIRST STRIKE: F18 fighters strikes deep into Libya XINHUA

Last chance

"As France broke diplomatic relations with the Gadhafi government and recognized the rebels, it has no other choice," said Hua Liming, Researcher of China Institute of International Studies, in an interview with xkb.com.cn while explaining why France took the lead in launching the military operations against Libya.

"Actually, this was France's last opportunity to start the military operation," said Zhang. He was referring to the fact that when the bombing began, Libyan government forces were on the verge of taking control of the fighting against anti-government forces.

"If Gadhafi's forces conquered Benghazi where the rebels were headquartered, France would have no further chance to interfere," said Zhang, adding that Libya's anti-government forces could not hold out at all without foreign support.

 Stop bombing - AU

"Compared with other Libya-related organizations, the African Union (AU) no doubt does a good job in promoting regional stability in North Africa," said Zhang.

After the Western powers struck against Gadhafi's forces, the AU's panel on Libya called for an "immediate stop" to all attacks on March 19. After a four-hour meeting in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, the body also asked Libyan authorities to ensure "humanitarian aid to those in need," as well as the "protection of foreigners, including African expatriates living in Libya."

"In the context that many organizations and Western countries are for the attack against Libya, the AU upholds the justice and righteousness in the aspect of maintaining Africa's development and stability," Zhang said.

According to him, many problems in Africa were actually the results of over-intervention from foreign countries. "In many cases, the more the foreign countries interfere into a country's internal affairs, the more complicated and unstable the country may be. One example is Somalia, which is now still in chaos," said Zhang. "If Libya is over-interfered with, I am afraid it will become the second Somalia."

Zhang believed that Gadhafi could have already controlled the whole situation if there had not been intervention from the Western powers and the country would have been stabilized. "After the coalition forces launched their military operation, the situation in Libya will be more complicated and I believe the chaos in the country will last much longer," said Zhang, adding that in the end, it will be the Lybian people who will solve their own problems.

He also noted that Western powers' intervention into Libya is also an encouragement to anti-government forces in other African countries, which will bring more instability factors to the continent.