19 March 2011
[Courtesy ABC News]
U.S. military officials have confirmed the first
American tomahawk cruise missiles have been fired at
targets inside Libya from ships in the Mediterranean
Sea.
The move is the first direct U.S. involvement in the
international operation mobilizing to stop Libyan
leader Moammar Gadhafi's attacks on opposition
strongholds and enforce a U.N.-backed no-fly zone.
Pentagon officials said there were 11 U.S. ships
stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, including three
submarines and two destroyers capable of firing
cruise missiles, and several amphibious ships and
supply ships.
The first strikes in what is being called "Operation
Odyssey Dawn" were expected to target air defense
missile sites around Tripoli, Misratah, and Surt, but
no areas east of that or near Benghazi, officials said.
President Obama told members of Congress Friday
that he had not yet authorized the use of U.S. planes,
but a senior military official said Saturday that U.S.
aircraft would be involved. It's unclear if those planes
include bombers and fighters among support aircraft
that could provide airborne surveillance, refueling
and radar-jamming capabilities.
Earlier Saturday French warplanes destroyed several
Libyan military vehicles, including tanks, in eastern
Libya, as pro-Gadhafi forces battled towards the rebel
stronghold of Benghazi, French Defense officials said.
At one point a fighter jet resembling a Libyan MiG 27
was shot down over the city, according to news
reports from inside Libya.
Meanwhile, world leaders met in Paris to discuss the
nature and scope of the international military
intervention to make Gadhafi respect a U.N. Security
Council resolution that authorized "all necessary
measures" to protect Libyan civilians.
"Our planes are blocking the air attacks on the city" of
Benghazi, French President Nicholas Sarkozy said
following the meeting. It was also clear the effort
would target ground forces, including tanks, that
might be used against the Libyan people.
French, British and Canadian aircraft were expected to
launch sorties as night falls over the country, ahead
of a larger coalition deployment that could happen
later in the day. Spain and Denmark have also
contributed fighter planes to the international force.
"We have every reason to fear that left unchecked,
Gadhafi would commit unspeakable atrocities,"
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters
following the meeting in Paris. "Further delay will only
put more civilians at risk. So let me be very clear on
the position of the United States: We will support an
international coalition as it takes all necessary
measures to enforce" the U.N. resolution.
President Obama , in Brazil for the first stop on a trip
to Latin America, told reporters the international
consensus on Libya remained "strong, and our
resolve is clear."
"The people of Libya must be protected," Obama said
at a press conference with Brazil's President Dilma
Rousseff. "And in the absence of an immediate end to
the violence against civilians, our coalition is
prepared to act and act with urgency."
[I've posted theme music in Currently Listening to . . .]
[Courtesy ABC News]
U.S. military officials have confirmed the first
American tomahawk cruise missiles have been fired at
targets inside Libya from ships in the Mediterranean
Sea.
The move is the first direct U.S. involvement in the
international operation mobilizing to stop Libyan
leader Moammar Gadhafi's attacks on opposition
strongholds and enforce a U.N.-backed no-fly zone.
Pentagon officials said there were 11 U.S. ships
stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, including three
submarines and two destroyers capable of firing
cruise missiles, and several amphibious ships and
supply ships.
The first strikes in what is being called "Operation
Odyssey Dawn" were expected to target air defense
missile sites around Tripoli, Misratah, and Surt, but
no areas east of that or near Benghazi, officials said.
President Obama told members of Congress Friday
that he had not yet authorized the use of U.S. planes,
but a senior military official said Saturday that U.S.
aircraft would be involved. It's unclear if those planes
include bombers and fighters among support aircraft
that could provide airborne surveillance, refueling
and radar-jamming capabilities.
Earlier Saturday French warplanes destroyed several
Libyan military vehicles, including tanks, in eastern
Libya, as pro-Gadhafi forces battled towards the rebel
stronghold of Benghazi, French Defense officials said.
At one point a fighter jet resembling a Libyan MiG 27
was shot down over the city, according to news
reports from inside Libya.
Meanwhile, world leaders met in Paris to discuss the
nature and scope of the international military
intervention to make Gadhafi respect a U.N. Security
Council resolution that authorized "all necessary
measures" to protect Libyan civilians.
"Our planes are blocking the air attacks on the city" of
Benghazi, French President Nicholas Sarkozy said
following the meeting. It was also clear the effort
would target ground forces, including tanks, that
might be used against the Libyan people.
French, British and Canadian aircraft were expected to
launch sorties as night falls over the country, ahead
of a larger coalition deployment that could happen
later in the day. Spain and Denmark have also
contributed fighter planes to the international force.
"We have every reason to fear that left unchecked,
Gadhafi would commit unspeakable atrocities,"
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters
following the meeting in Paris. "Further delay will only
put more civilians at risk. So let me be very clear on
the position of the United States: We will support an
international coalition as it takes all necessary
measures to enforce" the U.N. resolution.
President Obama , in Brazil for the first stop on a trip
to Latin America, told reporters the international
consensus on Libya remained "strong, and our
resolve is clear."
"The people of Libya must be protected," Obama said
at a press conference with Brazil's President Dilma
Rousseff. "And in the absence of an immediate end to
the violence against civilians, our coalition is
prepared to act and act with urgency."
[I've posted theme music in Currently Listening to . . .]
