NEWS: Coalition launches Libya attacks

The UK, the US and France have begun attacking Libya as enforcement of the UN-mandated no-fly zone gets under way.

Pentagon officials say the US and the UK have fired more than 110 missiles.

Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has said he will open arms depots to the people and the interests of Mediterranean countries will be in danger from now on.

Western planes bombed targets in the capital, Tripoli, said the AFP news agency, quoting witnesses and state TV.

Earlier on Saturday, pro-Gaddafi forces attacked the rebel stronghold of Benghazi despite declaring a ceasefire a day earlier.

A French plane fired the first shots against Libyan government targets at 1645 GMT, destroying a number of military vehicles, according to a military spokesman.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that British planes are in action over Libya.

US President Barack Obama, speaking during a visit to Brazil, said the US was taking "limited military action" as part of a "broad coalition".

"We cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people there will be no mercy," he said.

He repeated that no US ground troops would take part.

Shortly after the bombing started, a Libyan official went on TV to denounce the "barbarian aggression".

Col Gaddafi himself made a brief speech on Libyan radio, calling on people to resist.

"Civilian and military targets in the air and sea will be liable to serious danger in the Mediterranean," he said.

"Arms depots are now open and the masses are being equipped with all sorts of weapons in defence of Libya's independence, unity and honour," the Libyan leader warned.

'Necessary'
A British submarine has fired a number of missiles at Libyan air defence targets, the Ministry of Defence said.

Mr Cameron said that launching military action against Libya was "necessary, legal and right".

Libyan state TV reported that what it called the "crusader enemy" had bombed civilian areas of Tripoli, as well as fuel storage tanks supplying the western city of Misrata.

Sources in Tripoli told BBC Arabic that the attacks on the city had so far targeted the eastern areas of Sawani, Airport Road, and Ghasheer. These are all areas believed to host military bases.

The air strikes on Misrata targeted a military airbase, the Reuters news agency reported, quoting two residents who denied the state TV reports that fuel stores were hit.

The cruise missiles were fired from one British submarine and a number of American destroyers and subs, said a Pentagon official.

The missiles hit more than 20 air defence sites along the Mediterranean coast, said Navy Vice Adm William E Gortney.

The action came hours after Western and Arab leaders met in Paris to agree how to enforce the UN resolution, which allows "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from forces loyal to Col Gaddafi.

French planes also flew reconnaissance missions over "all Libyan territory", military sources in Paris said earlier.

In addition, Canada is sending warplanes to the region, while Italy has offered the use of its military bases. A naval blockade against Libya is also being put in place.

The international community was intervening to stop the "murderous madness" of Col Gaddafi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

"In Libya, the civilian population, which is demanding nothing more than the right to choose their own destiny, is in mortal danger," he warned. "It is our duty to respond to their anguished appeal."

Shortly after the airstrikes began, Libyan state TV said a French plane had been shot down near Tripoli. However, French military officials said all their planes had returned safely.

Col Gaddafi has ruled Libya for more than 40 years. An uprising against him began last month after long-time leaders of neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt were toppled.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12796972

Oh, god, please don't turn this into a full out war...

Jeez, I honestly didn´t think anything like this would happen.

Looking forward to see what else will come out of this.

Looking Forward to? Interesting words to use.

Great, another war. I'm suprised the military is still backing Gaddafi. They don't have a hope of winning if this becomes a full fledged war, why support the nut job? Do what the egyptian military did with Mubarak and simply not support him, thus forcing him to stand down.

Vektrix wrote:Looking Forward to? Interesting words to use.

As in I am curious to see what more will happen.

About time the West actually did something. They dithered for far too long. Although I'm impressed at how fast they began to enforce the no-fly zone following Thursday's resolution.

@Thomas: They've been preparing for this ever since the first meetings. This first strike is a result of several weeks of reconnaissance.

I forgot the conditions of a World War, but Gaddafi certainly is in the minority and should call defeat within the next week. Although, in his delusional condition, that is going to be very unlikely, unless one of his own snaps and kills him in a moment of desperation.

Hollywood is already working on a script, and Gaddafi will be portrayed by John Travolta. He has to be, right?

Now that the West has got its act together I see some of Gaddafi's inner circle turning on him. Preferrably shooting him and ending it now.

Only taken them 30 years to act.

Better late than ever.

But I wonder what will happen in the long run. Will the country truly change in the next years?

However, I think attention is already turning away from how to deal with Gaddafi to what to do with Libya after him.

I just read about this in the paper. So many sad events are simultaneously happening

Darwin2011 wrote:I just read about this in the paper. So many sad events are simultaneously happening

Whats happening in Libya is sad, but unfortunately necessary. Gaddafi is mental and it seems that war is likely the only way he will step down, or even if it has to happen, him being killed to end this. He's said repeatedly that the only way they will take his position from him is through killing him, and its looking extremely likely that that is exactly how this will end.

I don't really find this attack on Libya a good thing. War never really solves anything. Hopefully, Gaddafi will simply surrender in the end. The less bloodshed in Libya, the better. Worse case scenario: Total war. Best case scenario: Gaddafi surrenders before things get out of hand.

Goober09 wrote:I don't really find this attack on Libya a good thing. War never really solves anything. Hopefully, Gaddafi will simply surrender in the end.

He won't surrender, he's made that perfectly clear. Im only paraphrasing here, but he said something along the lines of "I will fight until eeryone (meaning all of the citizens, and soldier and himselfP) are dead". He won't back down until he dies, and unfortunately that seems like he only way this will end. Unless like I said earlier, the military do the smart thing and stop supporting him. Without military support, he is effectively not the leader of Libya any more.

Gaddafi's insane and the game is up. I'm sure some of his inner circle who were willing to stand by him when it looked like the West wouldn't do anything are now seriously considering their position now that the bombs are falling, as it were. I think someone from this circle will just shoot him and launch a coup to save themselves.

Hopefully that will be how it ends - He´s quickly put down and the war ceases.

As I say:

"The art of being a dictator is knowing when the game is up and it's time to get on the jet."

By that measure, Gaddafi has failed. He should have left in the first week when he could have actually gone somewhere...but now, no-one will be willing to take him.

I assume I'm not the only one hoping this psychopath dies without any further harm to the innocents there.

This guy is absolutely nuts. He has some of the most deadly world powers bearing down on him and he doesn't have the sense to stand down. He's going to get his civillians killed because he doesn't have any sense. I know the coalition is attempting to avoid civillian casualties, but misfires will happen, and I wouldn't put it past gadafi to use his civillians as a bloody meat shield.

He's insane. And he's got to die. You can't leave someone that unstable alive. He is dangerous so long as he still breathes.

I just hope the libyans aren't taken out in the process. That's some tough luck to be stuck with someone like him.

Hopefully one of his own men will turn on him.

Hence:

Thomas1134 wrote:Gaddafi's insane and the game is up. I'm sure some of his inner circle who were willing to stand by him when it looked like the West wouldn't do anything are now seriously considering their position now that the bombs are falling, as it were. I think someone from this circle will just shoot him and launch a coup to save themselves.

Yep, I read that earlier.

I don't know who else saw, but the Americans turned serious overnight. On the BBC website, they mention the use of B2 Stealth Bombers, which sole purpose is carpet bombing or nuclear warfare.

Also, a Trafalgar nuclear submarine has been firing on Libya, and apparently the 112 cruise missiles did insane damage the the air.

At about 11PM last night, Gaddafi announced he would attack the Mediterranean and try to sink military ships there. And earlier today, he said he would be willing to go to a full-out war.


This guy has NO idea how screwed he would be if the UN alliance decided they were SPORE off enough to go to ground warfare. The americans would MOST LIKELY abstain, but the British and French would do it, I reckon.

Either way, he's going to be killed. Whether it be a rogue member of the military, or a crack-shot EF Typhoon pilot with a payload of rockets.

Gaddafi can try and attack military units but ultimately he has no hope of doing any real damage to the power arrayed against him. He might as well just use peashooters.

I can understand why some of his inner circle may have stayed for the first week or two...but surely you'd want to save yourself now? Hopefully one of them will see sense and end it before Libya is reduced to nothing.