US Launches Air Attack on Libya

newjesustimes's picture

Because Iraq and Afghanistan have gone so swimmingly well, because military goods are the favorite export of the American decision-makers, because Egypt didn't give them the opportunity they'd hoped for, because the nuclear catastrophe in Japan is covering all the news, because nothing boosts the ecomony like war, right? Right?

Now Obama's shown his colors. Hoped for change? No support for labor unions at home, air support for rebels abroad.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_libya_obama

President Barack Obama authorized limited military action against Libya Saturday, saying Moammar Gadhafi's continued assault on his own people left the U.S. and its international partners with no other choice.

The Pentagon said 112 cruise missiles were launched from US and UK ships and subs, hitting 20 targets.
Obama said military action was not his first choice.

"This is not an outcome the U.S. or any of our partners sought," Obama said from Brazil, where he is starting a five-day visit to Latin America. "We cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people there will be no mercy."

military official said the U.S. launched air defenses Saturday with strikes along the Libyan coast that were launched by Navy vessels in the Mediterranean. The official said the assault would unfold in stages and target air defense installations around Tripoli, the capital, and a coastal area south of Benghazi, the rebel stronghold.

Obama declared once again that the United States would not send ground forces to Libya, though he said he is "deeply aware" of the risks of taking any military action.
Earlier in the day, Obama warned that the international community was prepared to act with urgency.

"Our consensus was strong, and our resolve is clear. The people of Libya must be protected, and in the absence of an immediate end to the violence against civilians our coalition is prepared to act, and to act with urgency," Obama said.


LA Times reports
While President Obama has emphasized that American forces would play a subordinate role in enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya, the Pentagon said the U.S. had to lead the operation in its early days because it has the greatest capability to destroy Kadafi's air defenses, a key prerequisite to taking control of Libya's airspace.

Once that portion of the mission is accomplished, international partners led by France, the United Kingdom and Arab partners will enforce the no-fly zone, U.S. officials said.

The U.S. is on the "leading edge" of the coalition military action that is designed to prevent further attacks against Libyan citizens, especially around the city of Benghazi, the main stronghold of rebels seeking to overthrow Kadafi's regime. The U.S. strikes are intended to defeat the Libyan government's ability to resist the implementation of a no-fly zone, said a senior U.S. military official.

The U.S. moved ahead Saturday with a three-pronged approach in what has been code named Operation Odyssey Dawn: launch targeted cruise missiles against Libyan air defenses, jam communications of Kadafi's forces and establish the central command and control for the operations.

Comments

First foot in the water

Thanks for the news, NJT. And your comments are spot on, imnho.

I'm really looking forward to them enforcing a "no-fly zone" over Gaza. I'm sure it'll happen when Obama gets back from Brazil. Or maybe he'll go for a 'no-fly' zone over Bahrain first where the government is using nerve gas against its citizens.

The hypocrisy is gobsmacking.

McJ's picture

Rebel fighter jets??

You got to be f***ing kidding me. What kind of a rebel force has fighter jets.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/warplane-shot-down-in-libyan...
LIBYAN rebels acknowledged that a warplane which crashed in flames in their Benghazi stronghold early yesterday belonged to them and that it was shot down by Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

"The statement accused the rebels of using "a helicopter and a fighter jet to bomb the Libyan armed forces in blatant violation of the no-fly zone imposed by the UN Security Council."

And it was the rebels that broke the truce via the no fly zone -- does that make any sense??

confusion is the game

I think it is all to create as much confusion as possible. I had thought that the plane may have been a Libyan Air Force plane commandeered by defecting airmen. I remember reports of some pilots defecting to Malta with their planes.

But if this was the case you'd think that the Daily Telegraph being a spook mouthpiece would say so. If I was to guess, I'd say it was a Libyan govt plane and it was shot down by rebels or British SAS using a SAM. They are covering up how the jet was shot down.

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