French fighter aircraft are policing a no-fly zone over Libya protecting the rebel stronghold of Benghazi,

French fighter aircraft are policing a no-fly zone over Libya protecting the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has said.

World leaders met in Paris on Saturday to discuss UN-sanctioned military intervention in Libya where forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the country's long time leader, are battling opposition forces.

Speaking after the talks, Sarkozy said that French aircraft were ready to strike at fighter aircraft and tanks belonging to Gaddafi's forces that might be used to attack civilians.

But he said that the fight in Libya belonged to the Libyan people.

"If we intervene on the side of Arab nations it is not to impose on the Libyan people, but because of a universal conscience hat cannot tolerate such crimes," he said.

"We do it to protect the civilian population from the madness of a regime that, but killing its own people, has lost any legitimacy."

Youcef Bouandel, a professor of international relations at Qatar University, said that Sarkozy's statement was "well measured".

"He chose his words very carefully to take the moral high ground, making reference to conscience, the rights of the Libyan people ... and most importantly getting the Arab nations on board," he told Al Jazeera.

Several Arab leaders attended the Paris meeting, along with an African Union representative and an array of European leaders including Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, although Germany is not expected to participate in any action.