Draghi be seen by Sarkozy as head of the Central Bank of Next

April 24, 2011, 4: 30 pm EDT by Helene Fouquet

April 24 (Bloomberg)--French President Nicolas Sarkozy sees Bank of Italy Governor Mario Draghi the leading candidate to succeed to the head of the European Central Bank, a person familiar with the issue, said Jean-Claude Trichet.

Status of the Draghi as the only candidate among the four largest nations of euro - France, Germany, Italy and Spain - made him the choice more viable, said of the person. Support of Sarkozy would follow signals from German officials that Italian is their favorite banker, adding impetus to its campaign.The French leader may make public opinions from 26 April at a conference jointly in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, an aide to Sarkozy told journalists. The decision maker key, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has not yet on the edge of his hand. With a deadline of late June to make the appointment, career of Draghi and the fate of the ECB are taken in his political calculation.As the Portugal grows imminent rescue cost assist States euro since 250 billion euros ($361 billion), Angela Merkel, who has difficulty in rallying support them to bail out at home, may face domestic critics for choose a European South of a country with a legacy of inflation and debt.Draghi has emerged as a favorite since Axel Weber the Germany withdrew from the race in February. Now, the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Sch?uble sees him as the candidate to be appointed next Chief of the ECB, persons close to him say. Trichet eight-year term ends October 31, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs German Werner Hoyer, who manages European Affairs, said in an interview in April 15 that Draghi would make a "very good" President BCE and meet the goal of the Germany of a stable euro.Draghi, 63, an economist trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, worked at the World Bank and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.. He is also President of the Council of financial stability, which was created by the Group of 20 nations in 2009 to oversee the development of standards to strengthen the global regulation.

-Publishers: James Hertling, Andrew Barden

To contact the reporters on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris at the hfouquet1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Hertling at jhertling@bloomberg.net

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France intensify the Libyan air strikes: Sarkozy

President Nicolas Sarkozy said that France will intensify its air strikes in Libya, at the request of the opposition forces.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the France also said Wednesday that it already has the field liaison officers in the rebel-held city of Benghazi. Officers are trying to help the rebels organize and support the NATO air campaign which has failed to implement military rout of Muammar al-Gaddafi.

Britain and the Italy are also send officers.

A presidential aid said Sarkozy, after having met a leader of the opposition Libyan Wednesday, said: "We will intensify the strikes". The aid was not allowed to be publicly named the presidential policy.

Hussien, a rebel fighter, prepares a belt of ammunition for his heavy machine gun on the front along the western entrance of Ajdabiyah line on Tuesday. AMR Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters.

Fighting in Libya, erupted two months ago, when protests against four decades of Gaddafi power transformed into an armed uprising.

Rebels control now the largest part of the East, while Gaddafi holds most of the West. However, there are areas of the rebels in the West of the Libya, particularly the Nafusa mountainous region which is home to the Libya Berber minority.

Since the end of week, Nafusa region city of Yifran, with a population of about 25,000 people, was attacked daily with Grad rockets, anti-aircraft guns and tank shells, said a veteran rebel, who would give only his first nameBelgassem, for fear of reprisals.

The bombing sent thousands fleeing in Tunisia nearby. Four rounds of mortar by the fighting, landed on the territory Tunisian Monday, Tunisian officials said late Tuesday.

International aid officials said that more than 10,000 people in the region of Mount Nafusa fled to Tunisia these days, avoiding the official boundaries inhabited by of Gaddafi's loyalists. Refugees remain in camps near the towns of Tunisian border Dehiba and Remada, or are hosted by Tunisian families.

Communities like Yifran, Qalaa, Nalut, and others close to the Tunisian borders are inhibited by Berbers who have suffered under the repressive policies of Gaddafi. Gaddafi has dubbed Berbers "product of colonialism" created by the West to divide the Libya. In the 1970s, members of pan-Berber associations were arrested and Berber activities have been banned.

In another outpost of rebels in the West of the Libya, the city under siege from Misrata, new clashes erupted Wednesday.

Exchanges of fire were heard Wednesday between troops Libyan and armed residents in the city centre. NATO planes flew above, but have not carried out air strikes.

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