Staff report : US bombs Libya to oust country’s leader
Allied forces continued to attack Libya on Monday in an effort to oust leader Moammar al Gadhafi, according to an article from The New York Times published Monday.
European nations battled over control of the no-fly zone while pro-Gadhafi forces were holding off allied forces and rebel attacks on the ground, according to the article.
Gadhafi — who has been the leader since 1969 — lashed out against the Arab world’s unrest, but opponents brought together a transitional government and a rebel army, and that government portrayed itself as a substitute to Gadhafi.
The United Nations voted to approve military action and the imposition of a no-fly zone Friday. Libya said it would call an immediate ceasefire and stoppage of all military operations against rebels seeking to overthrow Gadhafi. The United States, France and Britain said the ceasefire announcement wasn’t enough.
The campaign began Saturday, led by Britain and France. U.S. forces launched a beginning attack to take out Libya’s air defense systems, firing missiles from ships against radar, missile and communications centers around Tripoli.
On Sunday, forces amped up the attacks. Allied officials told The New York Times the mission had moved past taking away Gadhafi’s ability to use Libyan airspace to destroy his control. Rebel forces were able to regroup as allied warplanes obliterated government armored vehicles near Benghazi.
President Barack Obama said the initial stages of the campaign intended to eliminate air defenses were being carried out by American forces, who would give responsibility to their European partners to create a no-fly zone, according to The New York Times article.
David Cameron, prime minister of Britain, said responsibility for the no-fly zone would be transferred to NATO, but French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé said the Arab League doesn’t wish the operation to be completely under NATO’s responsibility, according to the article.
In a letter to Congress on Monday, Obama said the United States requested Gadhafi withdraw his forces from several cities, stop attacks against civilians and restore water, gas and electricity, according to the article.
— Compiled by Jon Harris, asst. news editor, jdharr04@syr.edu
Published on March 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm
