Losing The Battle For Arab Opinion

As Arab Foreign Ministers Say The Libyan Regime Is Illegitimate, We Ask If Gaddafi Has Lost Another Battle.

Inside Story
Last Modified: 13 Mar 2011 11:24 GMT
Courtesy Of "Al-Jazeera"

The foreign ministers of the six Arab Gulf states met on Thursday in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the ongoing crisis in Libya. They say that the existing Libyan regime is illegitimate and contact should be initiated with the Libyan rebels' national council.

The foreign ministers have also urged the Arab League to take the necessary measures to stop the bloodshed in Libya.

The Arab Gulf Council countries have already backed a no fly zone over Libya earlier this week.

So has Muammar Gaddafi lost another diplomatic battle?

Joining Inside Story to discuss this are: Salman Shaikh, the director of the Brookings Centre in Doha; Con Coughlin, the executive foreign editor of the Daily Telegraph newspaper; and Hussein Shobokshi, a columnist at Ashraq Alawsat newspaper.