Photo Gallery Germany's Splendid Isolation
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle: Criticism of Germany's absention from the Security Council vote on Libya continues to grow, as more and more members of the foreign policy community slam Berlin's decision to abandon its allies.
Anti-Gadhafi demonstrations in Benghazi: Gadhafi supporters have praised Germany for not taking part in coalition air strikes.
Critics say the German government's policy on Libya lacks consistency. Germany withdrew warships currently operating in the Mediterranean, yet approved a plan to send AWACS surveillance planes to Afghanistan to free up NATO capacity for the no-fly-zone mission.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. In abstaining from the Security Council vote, Germany is abandoning its traditional allies the US and France.
A French fighter jet returns to an aircraft carrier after a sortie against targets in Libya. Germany's decision "is a serious mistake of historic dimensions, with inevitable repercussions," says former German Defense Minister Volker Rühe.
