AFP/DPA

PARIS/ CAIRO/TRIPOLI QATAR and several European nations, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, on Saturday confirmed their will to take part in a UNsanctioned military intervention in Libya.

The Arab world was on Saturday represented by Jordan, Morocco, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates at a French-hosted summit on what action to take in Libya to prevent Qadhafi attacking rebels.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari also attended in his capacity as current head of the Arab League, along with League Secretary General Amr Moussa.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al Thani after the Paris summit.

French jets reportedly began operations in the no-fly zone over conflict-torn Libya on Saturday, even as world leaders were still meeting to decide the exact nature of the mission.

The reports came shortly after the Libyan opposition - which would receive a boost in its campaign against Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi from a no-fly zone - called upon the international community to take action to save civilians in Libya.

World leaders gathered in Paris on Saturday at an emergency summit to discuss military action in Libya, although the African Union, expected to attend, did not show up.

“The international community is very late in taking action,” Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, the leader of the national council in Benghazi told the broadcaster Al Jazeera.

“We know the Arab League supported a no-fly zone a week ago, and the UN resolution was issued on Thursday.

So, there is no justification that it has not been implemented yet,” he said.

Shortly afterward, the French Rafale jets began flying, reported French broadcaster BFMT-TV.

Citing diplomatic sources, the broadcaster said the French jets were upholding a no-fly zone approved by the UN Security Council.