Britain pushed ahead Friday with preparations to take a key role in an international military operation to enforce the UN Security Council's resolution on Libya, regardless of the ceasefire announced by the regime of Moamer al-Gaddafi, dpa reported.
"We will judge him (Gaddafi) by his actions and not his words," British Prime Minister David Cameron said after the ceasefire offer, made by Tripoli in compliance with Thursday's tough UN Security Council Resolution on the Libya conflict.
Earlier Friday, Cameron told parliament that Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado and Typhoon fighter aircraft would be moved to air bases in the region "in the coming hours", from where they could be deployed.
British refuelling and surveillance aircraft would also be deployed, most likely from bases in Cyprus.
"We are backing up our words with action," said Cameron, who had been a prime mover behind obtaining a UN Security Council resolution on Libya.
"We cannot stand back ... to do so would send a chilling signal to others," he added.
Implementation of the UN resolution, which included Cameron's key demand for a no-fly zone over Libya, was aimed at avoiding a "bloodbath" in Benghazi, the stronghold of anti-Gaddafi forces, said Cameron.
"Our forces will join an international operation to enforce the resolution if Gaddafi fails to comply with its demand that he ends attacks on civilians."
"The world has watched as he has brutally crushed his own people," Cameron said. It was now time to stop that "inhumanity."
The premier plans to travel to Paris on Saturday for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other leaders, after having already discussed the issue with US President Barack Obama.
The British leader praised the "remarkable" contribution Arab states had made to the UN-sanctioned operation. He had recently spoken to the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan on the issue.
"The support for this goes far beyond the Arab world," said Cameron.
Pressed repeatedly by opposition lawmakers on whether the real aim of an intervention in Libya was regime change, he said: "We simply cannot have a situation where a failed pariah state festers on Europe's southern border."
He stressed repeatedly that the UN resolution had approved "all necessary action" to protect the civilian population, excluding "occupation."
The British decision to take a lead role in the Libya conflict was backed by the Labour Party opposition. Labour leader Ed Miliband said it would be "quite wrong" for Britain to "stand by and do nothing."
Veteran Labour parliamentarian and anti-war campaigner Jeremy Corbyn said Britain was in danger of becoming involved in a "civil war in Libya for some time."