U.S., allies launch missile strikes on Libyan targets (1 Viewer)

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p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
U.S., allies launch missile strikes on Libyan targets
By Borzou Daragahi and Brian Bennett, Los Angeles Times
March 19, 2011, 8:02 p.m.

The U.S. takes the lead in the assault to cripple air-defense systems and armor in order to establish a no-fly zone to protect rebel-held areas. Kadafi vows to fight the 'flagrant military aggression.'

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The USS Barry fires Tomahawk cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn, as seen through night-vision goggles. (Nathanial Miller / U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Reporting from Tripoli, Libya, and Washington—
U.S., French and British forces blasted Libyan air defenses and armor, drawing intense volleys of tracer and antiaircraft fire over Tripoli early Sunday at the start of a campaign aimed at protecting rebel-held areas that will severely test Moammar Kadafi's powers of survival.

French fighter jets and U.S. and British warships, firing more than 110 cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea, struck multiple military targets. The assault cheered the rebels, who had seized control of large areas of Libya as they sought to build on months of discontent across the Arab world but in recent days found themselves retreating in the face of Kadafi's superior firepower.

Libyan officials accused international forces of hitting a hospital and other civilian targets. The armed forces said in a statement that 48 people had been killed in the strikes and 150 injured. Kadafi declared he was willing to die defending Libya, and in a statement broadcast hours after the attacks began, condemned what he called "flagrant military aggression." He vowed to strike civilian and military targets in the Mediterranean.

More ...
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
March 20, 2011
Libya assault intensifies; Qaddafi compound hit


(CBS/AP)
WASHINGTON - The U.S. on Sunday claimed initial success two days into an assault on Libya that included some of the heaviest firepower in the American arsenal - long-range bombers designed for the Cold War - but American officials said Sunday it was too early to define the international military campaign's endgame.
In the intensifying strikes on military targets of Muammar Qaddafi's forces, CBS News has learned that the administrative building in the embattled leader's Tripoli compound has been hit by a bomb of some kind. It is unclear what hit it exactly, or which coalition nation was responsible. U.S. military officials have said repeatedly that Qaddafi himself is not a target.
A senior U.S. defense official told NBC that British forces had targeted the compound. A coalition military official told CNN that Qaddafi's compound had been targeted because there were some military command and control operations there.
British officials said late Sunday that one of its submarines had launched a fresh barrage of missiles, although it is unclear if they targeted the Qaddafi compound, which had a few hundred people inside at the time. There were no early reports of casualties in the bombing.
The top U.S. military officer suggested that Qaddafi might stay in power in spite of the military assault aimed at protecting civilians, calling into question the larger objective of an end to Qaddafi's erratic 42-year rule. Other top U.S. officials have suggested that a weakened and isolated Qaddafi could be ripe for a coup.
A second wave of attacks, mainly from American fighters and bombers, targeted Libyan ground forces and air defenses, following an opening barrage Saturday of sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. expects to turn control of the mission over to a coalition - probably headed either by the French and British or by NATO - "in a matter of days."
Late Sunday, however, NATO's top decision-making body failed to agree on a plan to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, although it did approve a military plan to implement a U.N. arms embargo.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360170n
At the Pentagon, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference that the back-to-back assaults Saturday and Sunday had inflicted heavy damage. They largely silenced Qaddafi's air defenses, blunted his army's drive on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and confused his forces.
"We judge these strikes to have been very effective in significantly degrading the regime's air defense capability," Gortney said. "We believe his forces are under significant stress and suffering from both isolation and a good deal of confusion."
Gortney's assessment suggested that further strikes on the scale of Saturday's heavy assault with sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles may not be needed, although he did not rule out further attacks.
Gortney said Qaddafi himself is not a target, but he could not guarantee the strongman's safety.
The systems targeted most closely were Libya's SA-5 surface-to-air missiles, Russian-made weaponry that could pose a threat to allied aircraft many miles off the Libyan coastline. Libya has a range of other air defense weaponry, including portable surface-to-air missiles that are more difficult to eliminate by bombing.
Sunday's attacks, carried out by a range of U.S. aircraft - including Air Force B-2 stealth bombers as well as Marine Harrier jets flying from an amphibious assault ship in the Mediterranean - demonstrated the predominance of U.S. firepower in the international coalition. By striking Libyan ground forces, coalition forces also showed that they are going beyond the most frequently discussed goal of establishing a no-fly zone over the country.
A military official said the B-2s flew 25 hours in a round trip from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and dropped 45 2,000-pound bombs.
U.S. missiles and warplanes were clearly in the lead Saturday and Sunday, but Gates said the plan remains for the U.S. to step back once the threat from the Libyan military is reduced.
"We agreed to use our unique capabilities and the breadth of those capabilities at the front of this process, and then we expected in a matter of days to be able to turn over the primary responsibility to others," Gates told reporters traveling with him to Russia. "We will continue to support the coalition, we will be a member of the coalition, we will have a military role in the coalition, but we will not have the preeminent role."
President Barack Obama, traveling in Brazil, held a conference call Sunday with top national security officials, including Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Army Gen. Carter Ham, the U.S. general running the air campaign.

http://www.cbsnews.com/2718-202_162-1057.html
Obama also called King Abdullah of Jordan on Sunday to emphasize the importance of a broad international effort in the Libyan campaign and to discuss the unrest in Bahrain, said national security adviser Tom Donilon in Rio.
Gates had planned to fly to Russia on Saturday but delayed his departure for a day so he could be in Washington to monitor the operation's launch.
Vice President Joe Biden discussed the military action by phone Sunday with the prime minister of Algeria and the emir of Kuwait, the White House said.
Obama referred to Libya but did not discuss the unfolding operation during remarks in Brazil.
"We've seen the people of Libya take a courageous stand against a regime determined to brutalize its own citizens," Obama said.
"No one can say for certain how this change will end, but I do know that change is not something that we should fear. When young people insist that the currents of history are on the move, the burdens of the past can be washed away."
House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement Sunday that while the U.S. has an obligation to support the Libyan people, the Obama administration must do a better job of communicating to Americans and to Congress what the U.S. mission in Libya is and how it will be achieved before further military commitments are made.
Donilon, responding from Brazil, said, "I think that's a fair request of the administration, frankly, and we are doing that."
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was pressed repeatedly during a round of Sunday television interviews to explain the mission's objectives. He said the main goal is to protect civilians from further violence by pro-Qaddafi forces, while enabling the flow of humanitarian relief supplies. He said the first step - imposing a no-fly zone - had been achieved, with little worry of Qaddafi shooting down allied patrols. But it was unclear how long the military effort would go on, or on what scale.
"I think circumstances will drive where this goes in the future," the admiral said on ABC's "This Week." "I wouldn't speculate in terms of length at this particular point in time." He said early results were highly encouraging, with no known U.S. or allied losses and no reported civilian casualties.
"We're very focused on the limited objectives that the president has given us and actually the international coalition has given us, in terms of providing the no-fly zone so that he cannot attack his own people, to avoid any kind of humanitarian massacre, if you will, and to provide for the humanitarian corridors, humanitarian support of the Libyan people," Mullen added.
Asked whether it was possible that the military goals might be met without Qaddafi being ousted, Mullen replied, "That's certainly potentially one outcome." He described the Libyan strongman as more isolated than ever, adding that Qaddafi is "going to have to make some choices about his own future" at some point.
The prospect of Qaddafi remaining in control of at least a portion of the country raises questions about how far the Obama administration and its European and other partners are willing to go with military force. Clinton said Saturday that although ousting Qaddafi is not an explicit goal of the campaign, his departure might be hastened as the conflict continues. Qaddafi has ruled Libya for more than 40 years.
Clinton said enforcement of the U.N. Security Council resolution that called on Qaddafi to cease firing on his own people will "make a new environment" in which people close to Qaddafi might turn against him.
"The opposition is largely led by those who defected from the Qaddafi regime or who formerly served it, and it is certainly to be wished for that there will be even more such defections, that people will put the future of Libya and the interests of the Libyan people above their service to Col. Qaddafi," she said.
If the ultimate outcome of the military campaign is cloudy, so is the command arrangement. The Pentagon said Saturday that it is led by Ham, who as head of U.S. African Command is responsible for U.S. military operations in Libya and much of the rest of the continent. Beyond Gates' remarks Sunday, officials have not said much about the plan to hand off responsibility for the military operation, dubbed Odyssey Dawn.
Libya's claims of civilians among the dead from the strikes appeared to make Arab countries nervous, after the Arab League took the unprecedented step of calling for a no-fly zone. On Sunday, Arab League chief Amr Moussa criticized the missile strikes, saying they went beyond what the Arab body had supported.
"What happened differs from the no-fly zone objectives," Moussa told reporters in Cairo. "What we want is civilians' protection, not shelling more civilians."
One of the more vocal skeptics in Congress, Sen. Richard Lugar, said he worries that the U.S. may have entered a conflict with unclear goals.
"We really have not discovered who it is in Libya that we are trying to support," the Indiana Republican said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "Obviously the people that are against Qaddafi, but who? In eastern Libya, for example, a huge number of people went off to help the Iraqis against the United States in a war that still is winding down."
Asked about working with the rebels, and whether the coalition knows enough about them to forge a partnership, Gates said Libyans must ultimately resolve matters themselves.
Still, he added, "We certainly know a lot about Qaddafi, and that's good enough for me."
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
March 20, 2011
Qaddafi fires back with promise of "a long war"


(CBS News)
TRIPOLI - The U.S. and its allies may have fired missiles and bombs at Libya, but Muammar Qaddafi has fired back with defiance and threats.
Both sides are evaluating where they stand after a night of destruction.
When the weapons coming at you are cruise missiles fired from hundreds of miles out at sea, and when the only real defense is antiquated anti-aircraft artillery shooting at an enemy it can't see - let alone hit - you resort to the only weapons you have, says CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips.
For the Qaddafi regime, that is people and words.
The leader himself hasn't been seen in days, but Muammar Qaddafi did call in to the state TV channel: "So the Mediterranean and North Africa will become now a real war zone because of this aggression and irresponsible act. And now all countries' interests in the region will be in danger starting from now."
His threatening words were run over a shot of the monument in front of a building destroyed during the 1986 U.S. bombing of Tripoli.
"Interference in our affairs has no justification," he said. "We are better than you because of our will. We are going to fight, we are going to fight for every square of our land. We will go as martyrs. We are dreamers, we will not give the land away."

http://www.cbsnews.com/2718-202_162-1057.html
Although the military operations bore the colors of a coalition, Qaddafi singled out the U.S. as the aggressor, rebel forces in Benghazi as traitors, and Libya as a target of "foreign colonialism."
"Benghazi will not let them take their honor," he said. "We will not allow them to come and take over Benghazi like you dream. People of Benghazi will rise and will wave the green flag. The conflict is between the Libyan people and the United States."
Vowing that Libyans will fight to the death as martyrs but ultimately be victorious, Qaddafi proclaimed, "This is the best moment in our life. We are going to be victorious in every town in Libya. We will fight, we will target any traitor who is co-operating with the Americans or Christian crusade."
He called the international coalition serving to enforce United Nations Resolution 1973 the "New Crusade."
"All nations are against this foreign intervention," he said. "If you want a long war, we will be ready.
"You were defeated in Somalia, you were defeated in Vietnam, you were defeated in Iraq, Iran and so on. You will be defeated, and there is no way back for you."
"You can't do anything in Afghanistan. Bin Laden defeated you - this weak man - you have used all your resources and now you are ready to leave. The same in Libya. You will not leave victorious."
The people also assembled - or were assembled - at potential target sites, including the fortified Qaddafi family compound in Tripoli.
Call them human shields; call them enthusiastic supporters come to be with their leader. The effect is the same.
Their presence would make targeting Qaddafi himself politically extremely difficult. And there is no indication that was the intention.
The Libyans admitted military targets were hit - but claimed about 50 civilians were killed as well. They showed wounded people in hospitals who they said were victims of the attack, but whose support for the regime was remarkably undiminished.
A government minister supplied an early official response: "Honestly I cannot give you names of the locations, but they hit civilian buildings and all inhabitants of them are civilians."
The bombing has reshaped the battlefield here. IF it has eliminated Qaddafi's air defenses - and that is not clear yet - then it has begun to take the military advantage away from his forces.
IF attacks also are successful against his tanks and troops on the ground, then the balance starts to shift more toward the anti-Qaddafi, rebel forces.
It is still far from clear, though, whether they are in a position to take advantage of the support they're getting from their new-found allies.
And, it's been said before about Muammar Qaddafi - that which doesn't kill him makes him stronger.
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
March 20, 2011 9:48 AM
Crisis in Libya: Latest developments


7:59 p.m. ET:
(Reuters) Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that for the second time a Trafalgar Class submarine has fired guided Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defence systems.

5:39 p.m. ET:
(Reuters) While traveling to Moscow Sunday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said President Barack Obama's advisers were unanimously supportive of his decision on the use of military force in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.

5:34 p.m. ET:
(Reuters) Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, director of the U.S. military's Joint Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that Muammar Qaddafi was not being targeted by coalition air strikes. Gortney also said Belgium and Qatar have joined the coalition acting against Qaddafi, which includes the United States, Britain, France, Italy and Canada.

5:19 p.m. ET:
(Al Jazeera) A spokesman for Libya's rebel movement reports that more than 8,000 Libyans who have risen up against Muammar Qaddafi and his forces have been killed in the revolt.

4:22 p.m. ET:
(Al Arabiya) Massive explosions were reported in Tripoli. Al Arabiya reports smoke rising from Qadaffi's headquarters in Bab al-Azizia.

3:40 p.m. ET:
(AP) - Anti-aircraft fire erupted in the Libyan capital Sunday, marking the start of a second night of international strikes as a defiant Muammar Qaddafi vowed a "long war."
Soon after nightfall, heavy anti-aircraft fire rattled over Tripoli, with tracer fire arching into the sky, punctuated by the explosion of shells. The fire suggested a second night of strikes had begun, but it was not immediately known what they targeted.
On state TV, the Libyan armed forces repeated its claim that it ordered a cease-fire - though it appeared that its units continued fighting after a similar cease-fire call the night before.

3:10 p.m. ET:
Representatives of the Libyan government and armed forces announced an immediate cease-fire, following attacks on its air defenses by an international coalition seeking to enforce a no-fly zone over the country.
In Tripoli a spokesman for the armed forces read a statement declaring, in accordance with U.N. Resolutions 1970 and 1973 and with statements from the high level Committee of Five and African Union, that all military units are to honor an immediate ceasefire starting at 9 p.m. this evening.
A representative of the Popular Social Leadership of Libya also called on people "from all Libyan tribes" to join in a peaceful march from Tripoli to Benghazi, "to express our solidarity and offer our condolances to the people there," and to jointly discuss "the affairs of our homeland and the future of our nation."

2:14 p.m. ET
During remarks in Brazil on Sunday, President Obama briefly addressed the unfolding crisis in Libya - emphasizing the universal right "to be free and to be heard" and the "power and promise of Democracy."
"We all seek to be free. We all seek to be heard," he said. "These are not American or Brazilian ideas. They are not Western ideas. These are universal rights, and we must support them everywhere."
"Today, we are seeing the struggle for these rights unfold across the Middle East and North Africa," Mr. Obama continued. "We have seen a revolution born out of a yearning for basic human dignity in Tunisia. We have seen peaceful protesters pour into Tahrir Square - men and women, young and old, Christian and Muslim. We've seen the people of Libya take a courageous stand against a regime determined to brutalize its own citizens. Across the region, we have seen young people rise up - a new generation demanding the right to determine their own future."

1:47 p.m. ET
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said on Sunday the Obama administration waited too long to take action against Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi.
Complete coverage: Anger in the Arab World
(WATCH) Allies provide support for Libya rebels
"He waited too long, there is no doubt in my mind about it," McCain said of Mr. Obama, in an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "But now, it is what it is. And we need, now, to support him and the efforts that our military are going to make. And I regret that it didn't - we didn't act much more quickly, and we could have."
libya_AP110320019711_244x183.JPG

Libyan rebels celebrate on a captured tank in the outskirts of Benghazi, eastern Libya, Sunday, March 20, 2011.
(Credit: AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)


He also argued that, had the Obama administration acted earlier, a no-fly zone might have been enough to stabilize the situation in Libya.
"If we had taken these -- this step a couple of weeks ago, a no-fly zone would probably have been enough," he said. "Now, a no-fly zone is not enough. There needs to be other efforts made."
Regardless, McCain argued, "time is not on Qaddafi's side.'
"If he doesn't succeed in a relatively short period of time, he'll be driven back and, over time, I believe, defeated," McCain said. "I have great confidence in our capabilities that the most mightiest nation in the world is now matched up against a third-rate or fourth-rate power."
1:20 p.m. ET
Forces loyal to Libya's Muammar Qaddafi seized an Italian ferry in the port of Tripoli on Saturday night and are detaining the ferry's crew, the Wall Street Journal is reporting.
Quoting both a senior Italian official and the ship's owner, the Journal reports the detention of ten crew members. Of those detained, eight are reportedly Italians, while two are Indians and one is Ukrainian.
"Unfortunately the Asso 22 has been caught up in this situation," said Mario Mattioli, chief executive of the shipping company that owns the vessel, in an interview with the Journal.
italy_libya_AP110320024372_270x153.JPG

An F-16 jet fighter flies over the NATO airbase in Aviano, Italy, Sunday, March 20, 2011. NATO's top decision-making body is poised to decide whether the alliance will join in the coalition onslaught on Libya.
(Credit: AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Sunday that "we don't know the intentions" of the forces who detained the ferry, but added that "we cannot exclude (the possibility) they've been taken hostage."
U.S. fires cruise missiles on Libyan air defenses
Qaddafi defies U.N., attacks rebel forces
According to the Journal, the ferry is used to transport employees between Tripoli and an Italian-operated oil rig nearby. The employees had reportedly disembarked from the ship before it was seized on Saturday.
1:08 p.m. ET
French Defense Ministry spokesman Laurent Teisseire told reporters in Paris that Qatar will join the operation against Qaddafi's forces, adding its warplanes alongside French jets. He said the Qatari contribution will come "in the hours to come."
12:48 p.m. ET
Libya's government has begun distributing weapons to Libyan civilians, Reuters is reporting.
After an international coalition hit Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's forces and air defenses with cruise missiles and airstrikes on Saturday, Qaddafi vowed to defend Libya from what he described as a "crusader aggression." According to Xinhua News Agency, he declared on Sunday that arms would be made available to all Libyans.
He also said Libya's oil would not be left to countries like the United States, France, and Britain, according to Xinhua.
According to Reuters, the Libyan government "expected the operation to end in the next hours to arm more than a million men and women."
Reuters also reports that in an audio message broadcast on Saturday, Qaddafi said that as a result of the attacks, "It is now necessary to open the stores and arm all the masses with all types of weapons to defend the independence, unity and honor of Libya."
He also urged Arab, Islamic, African, Latin American and Asian countries to "stand by the heroic Libyan people to confront this aggression, which will only increase the Libyan people's strength, firmness and unity," according to Reuters.
libya_serbia_protests_AP110320023184_244x183.JPG

Protesters hold up placards and pictures of Libya's leader Muammar Qaddafi during a rally against the bombing of Libya, in Belgrade, Serbia, Sunday, March 20, 2011.
(Credit: AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

10:22 a.m. ET
Despite the Arab League's support for a no-fly zone last week, the head of the Arab League is now criticizing the recent international strikes, the Associated Press reports.
Arguing that the strikes have caused civilian deaths, Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League, said on Sunday that "what happened differs from the no-fly zone objectives."
"What we want is civilians' protection, not shelling more civilians," he said, arguing that the actions taken went beyond the actions the Arab League originally backed. The U.N. resolution that passed on March 17 authorized a no-fly zone and the use of "all necessary measures... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamhariya, including Benghazi, while excluding an occupation force."
Libya is saying that the strikes, which according to the AP targeted mostly air defenses, killed 48 people -- including civilians.

9:51 a.m. ET
libya_pope_AP110320017756_244x183.JPG

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, Sunday, March 20, 2011.
(Credit: AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

Pope Benedict XVI said on Sunday he was praying for peace in Libya, and urged military and political leaders to consider the safety of Libyan civilians, the Associated Press reports.
Speaking after his weekly Angelus prayer in Rome, the Pope urged "those who have the political and military responsibility to take to heart the safety and security of citizens and guarantee that they have access to humanitarian aid."
"I am following the events with great concern," he continued, sources report. "I pray for those who are caught in the dramatic situation of this country."
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
INTERNATIONAL COALITION pssshhhh ridiculous its libya's internal problem, alright, its just plain dumb
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
Anti-aircraft fire erupted in the Libyan capital Sunday, marking the start of a second night of international strikes as a defiant Muammar Qaddafi vowed a "long war."
Soon after nightfall, heavy anti-aircraft fire rattled over Tripoli, with tracer fire arching into the sky, punctuated by the explosion of shells. The fire suggested a second night of strikes had begun, but it was not immediately known what they targeted.

beaaauutifull sight
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
naaa i really think its about Gaddafi..they (coalition) were absent during egypt crisis. i really thought the crisis would end like egypts..i guess i was wrong its turning into a war buahaha not a full scale war thou
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect
we have been inventing some new kickass weapons its time to put it to test, really. the coalition has a real enemy, gaddafi instead of iraq/afghan war with no real enemy. you have a full frontal enemy waiting for you with their so called missiles that been mentioned during libyan missile crisis.

it is not about the oil IMO. USUALLY they would send ground troops if its oil. invasion and all. we just have to wait the outcome of this war. so far they are attacking the libyan weaponry
 

KingFate

Légion Blanche
we have been inventing some new kickass weapons its time to put it to test, really. the coalition has a real enemy, gaddafi instead of iraq/afghan war with no real enemy. you have a full frontal enemy waiting for you with their so called missiles that been mentioned during libyan missile crisis.

it is not about the oil IMO. USUALLY they would send ground troops if its oil. invasion and all. we just have to wait the outcome of this war. so far they are attacking the libyan weaponry

This isn't a war, this is a 4'2 62 pound guy talking shit to Shaq.
 

p4irs

totally shitposter, with Dunning–Kruger effect


yeeaahh 0:44 havent seen AA guns raging like that since the WWII
 
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