NATO votes to take over No Fly Zone

[JimH52]

Libya live blog: NATO will enforce no-fly zone over Libya, secretary general says – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

 

[JimH52]

I think I heard a prediction this morning from one of the NATO participants that the conflict would probably last days or weeks, but not months. I hope that is true, but I have my doubts.

 

[BenNatuf]

I think I heard a prediction this morning from one of the NATO participants that the conflict would probably last days or weeks, but not months. I hope that is true, but I have my doubts.

home by [strikethrough]easter, memorial day, independence day, labor day,[/strikethrough] christmas

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - Obama got dat mean ol' Khaddafi onna run...

Air Raids Force Gadhafi Retreat, Rebels Seize East
Mar 26, 2011 --- Libyan rebels clinched their hold on the east and seized back a key city on Saturday after decisive international airstrikes sent Moammar Gadhafi's forces into retreat, shedding their uniforms and ammunition as they fled.

Ajdabiya's initial loss to Gadhafi may have ultimately been what saved the rebels from imminent defeat, propelling the U.S. and its allies to swiftly pull together the air campaign now crippling Gadhafi's military. Its recapture gives President Barack Obama a tangible victory just as he faces criticism for bringing the United States into yet another war. In Ajdabiya, drivers honked in celebration and flew the tricolor rebel flag. Others in the city fired guns into the air and danced on burned-out tanks that littered the road.

Their hold on the east secure again, the rebels promised to resume their march westward that had been reversed by Gadhafi's overwhelming firepower. Rebel fighters already had pushed forward to the outskirts of the oil port of Brega and were hoping to retake the city on Sunday, opposition spokeswoman Iman Bughaigis said, citing rebel military commanders. "Without the planes we couldn't have done this. Gadhafi's weapons are at a different level than ours," said Ahmed Faraj, 38, a rebel fighter from Ajdabiya. "With the help of the planes we are going to push onward to Tripoli, God willing."

The Gadhafi regime acknowledged the airstrikes had forced its troops to retreat and accused international forces of choosing sides. "This is the objective of the coalition now, it is not to protect civilians because now they are directly fighting against the armed forces," Khaled Kaim, the deputy foreign minister, said in Tripoli. "They are trying to push the country to the brink of a civil war."

MORE

See also:

US Considers More Firepower to Hit Gadhafi Forces
Mar 26, 2011 - WASHINGTON -- Even after a week of U.S.-led air strikes, forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi are a potent threat to civilians, say Pentagon officials who are considering expanding the firepower and airborne surveillance systems in the military campaign.

"Every day, the pressure on Gadhafi and his regime is increasing," President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, aired just after Libyan rebels regained control of the eastern city of Ajdabiya. It was the first major turnaround in an uprising that once appeared on the verge of defeat. Obama also readied for a speech to the nation Monday evening to explain his decision-making on Libya to a public weary of a decade of war.

Lawmakers from both parties have complained that the president has not sought their input about the U.S. role in Libya or stated clearly the U.S. goals and exit strategy. "The United States should not and cannot intervene every time there's a crisis somewhere in the world," Obama said in the speech Saturday. But with Gadhafi threatening "a bloodbath that could destabilize an entire region ... it's in our national interest to act. And it's our responsibility. This is one of those times."

Among the weapons under consideration for use in Libya is the Air Force's AC-130 gunship, armed with cannons that shoot from the side doors. Other possibilities are helicopters and drones that fly lower and slower and can spot more than fast-moving jet fighters. With the U.S. pressing to shift full command of the Libya air campaign to the NATO alliance, the discussion of adding weapons to step up the assault on Gadhafi's ground troops reflects the challenges in hitting the right targets.

MORE

 

[JBeukema]

Wait... aren't we NATO's muscle anyway?

 

[editec]

NATO's air command and control demands US involvement, or so I'm informed.

 

[BenNatuf]

What does NATO taking over in term of US involvement?

It means Obama's not personally responsible.

That all it means.

 

[B. Kidd]

It's not just a 'no-fly zone'. It is a 'no-fly zone plus', whatever the hell that means.

 

[Toronado3800]

NATO taking over means more of a coalition not no U.S. involvement. Good or bad.

Has to be at least some good from the U.S. taxpayer's point of viee if some of them snazzy European fighter bombers are being shot at also.

Input from more ppl should at least mean less of a single minded mad man approach.