Image via Wikipediahttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42760650/ns/world_news-mideast/n_africaCOPENHAGEN — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sharply criticized the Western coalition attacking Libya on Tuesday, saying it had neither a right nor a mandate to kill Moammar Gadhafi.
Putin said the coalition had gone beyond the bounds of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing intervention to protect civilians and suggested Gadhafi's actions did not justify foreign interference, let alone attempts to remove him."They said they didn't want to kill Gadhafi. Now some officials say, yes, we are trying to kill Gadhafi," Putin said on a visit to Denmark. "Who permitted this, was there any trial? Who took on the right to execute this man, no matter who he is?"
Putin spoke as Britain and the United States discussed stepping up military pressure on Gadhafi, who has survived more than a month of
"When the entire so-called civilized community falls upon a small country with all its might, destroys infrastructure created over generations -- I don't know, is that good or not?" Putin said. "I don't like it."
Shortly after Putin spoke, Libyan state news agency Jana said Libya had urged Russia to call an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss "Western aggression."
In Moscow, Russia's Foreign Ministry said nobody was available to comment on the report.
Putin called Gadhafi's Libya "crooked" but said that did not justify intervention.
