Coalition launches Libya attacks

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EmperorNapoleon said:
Give it a rest. It shouldn’t be any surprise that France would take the lead in the imposition of the no-fly zone since the rebel government has been cozying up to them for weeks. The armed forces of the United States have done enough chest pounding in the Middle East over the last 10 years. We’re launching cruise missiles in support of the operation. Thats enough for now and who cares which leader announces it first as long it gets done.
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👍👍👍👍
 
ronnie_bonigli said:
At least Hillary is a grown up
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They all are grownups. Besides, the buck ends with the President. He had reputable people on both sides of the issue urging him to either attack or not to. He had to make the decision. It’s not like immediate gratification rightwingers who think they’re playing “guns” in the schoolyard and are willing to get into a war without any forethought and without any risks. 😦
 
Operation Odyssey Dawn is commanded by U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear aboard the command ship USS Mount Whitney. The Mount Whitney joins 24 other ships from Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom and France in launching the operation. Cruise missiles from U.S. submarines and frigates began the attack on the anti-aircraft system. A senior defense official speaking on background said the attacks will "open up the environment so we could enforce the no-fly zone from east to west throughout Libya."In addition to the cruise missiles, the United States will provide command and control and logistics. American airmen and sailors also will launch electronic attacks against the systems. The United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada already have announced that they are part of the coalition. Officials expect Arab countries will publicly announce their participation soon.

guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/19/libya-live-blog-ceasefire-nofly
 
Rich_Olszewski said:
They all are grownups. Besides, the buck ends with the President. He had reputable people on both sides of the issue urging him to either attack or not to. He had to make the decision. It’s not like immediate gratification rightwingers who think they’re playing “guns” in the schoolyard and are willing to get into a war without any forethought and without any risks. 😦
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Kadafi has won back most of the towns tthe rebels had held, over the last two weeks using his air force to slaughter them. There’s no reason we couldn’t have given a no-fly zone two weeks or one week ago BEFORE they lost all that ground.

I seem to remember someone here, someone on this very thread arguing we needed to do something. But of course admitting that now would also mean admitting his hero blew it by sitting on his hands for two weeks.
 
ronnie_bonigli said:
Kadafi has won back most of the towns tthe rebels had held, over the last two weeks using his air force to slaughter them. There’s no reason we couldn’t have given a no-fly zone two weeks or one week ago BEFORE they lost all that ground.
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Yes there is. The Libyan rebel government did NOT want unilateral action from the United States. They specifically said that they wanted this to go through the United Nations; and thats exactly what happened. Planning, logistics, drafting resolutions, and passing them takes time and the Libyan rebel government made it clear that they did not want foreign intervention up until two weeks ago.
 
ronnie_bonigli said:
Kadafi has won back most of the towns tthe rebels had held, over the last two weeks using his air force to slaughter them. There’s no reason we couldn’t have given a no-fly zone two weeks or one week ago BEFORE they lost all that ground.
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The rebels wanted to go through the UN for help. We didn’t have a reason to not brook their desires. Obama did right.
 
EmperorNapoleon said:
Yes there is. The Libyan rebel government did NOT want unilateral action from the United States…
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The Libyan rebel government is made up of some forces that have and are fighting American Forces in Iraq. In other words, it is probably safe to say, the Libyan Rebel Governement (as much as there is such a thing) isn’t fond of the USA.
 
Muammar Gaddafi threatened to attack both military and civilian targets in the Mediterranean in retaliation against air and sea strikes on Libyan air defences, AFP reports. Not sure how he will do that. He does have scuds and could try to shoot them at Italy or France.
 
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.

Read the link for an in-depth, LIVE analysis - bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12796972
 
US national security official reports that Libya’s air defence systems have been “severely disabled”, according to Reuters.
 
The opening attacks seem to be largely intended to destroy Libyan air defenses and disrupt the communication network. This is thought to be in preparation for coalition planes to do ground attacks. However, ground attacks will be difficult if Gaddhafi’s forces are able to hide out in populated areas.
Analysts had warned that the sudden storming of Benghazi by pro-Gaddafi forces was a military ploy designed to negate the potency of international air strikes but also increase the risk of coalition air strikes inflicting civilian casualties. Moving his ground forces from the flat, exposed terrain of the desert to Libya’s second city and into its streets raised the risk of civilians being killed, they said. Experts warned that the consequences of collateral damage would create a propaganda coup for the Libyan leader, while potentially damaging the conviction of the coalition.
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Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, an independent thinktank, said: “It makes airpower considerably less effective. Given that some of Gaddafi’s most pernicious weapons – ground-based artillery and tanks – are now intermingled with the urban infrastructure and civilian targets like schools and hospitals, it does blunt one of the international coalition’s greatest strengths, which is advanced fast jets with precision targeted weaponry.”
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Another concern is to avoid hitting British special forces units, which are likely to be operating in the city to help “light up” targets and offer ground-level intelligence. Paul Smyth, a former wing commander with the RAF, Tornado navigator and founder of defence analysts R3I Consulting, said it was technically possible to hit targets in built up areas from a Tornado, although there were obvious challenges to hitting a tank behind a building while moving at 600mph.
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guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/19/operation-odyssey-dawn-tomahawks-libya
 
I hope the US has not launched a missile. Otherwise the Omama zombies here will have to perform mental gyrations to justify their position. Just like they have to do about abortion!:mad:
 
The way I see it, the Middle East is going to become one enormous political mess.

I think we’re being set up for judgement and enormous trouble. There is the Middle East, the India-Pakistan focus with tension building between Pakistan and the US, and North Korea right next to Japan with her own problems at the moment, plus the resurgence of Islam, as foreshadowed by Bishop Fulton Sheen in his essay “Mary and the Moslems”.
 
From CBS’ David Martin: 3 B-2 stealth bombers fly non-stop from US & drop 40 bombs on Libyan airfield to destroy Qaddafi’s air force.
 
I think that by getting involved here we’re going to have another Iraq. But I don’t make these decisions so I’ll just have to see how it goes.
 
Bob_Crowley said:
The way I see it, the Middle East is going to become one enormous political mess.

I think we’re being set up for judgement and enormous trouble. There is the Middle East, the India-Pakistan focus with tension building between Pakistan and the US, and North Korea right next to Japan with her own problems at the moment, plus the resurgence of Islam, as foreshadowed by Bishop Fulton Sheen in his essay “Mary and the Moslems”.
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Oh its a mess, Gaddhafi is already claiming the Crusaders are back? But apparently the air support is only to help the rebels free the country. How it turns out? God only knows.

I know they quoted a Doctor from a Hosp their this morning who said the Hosp floors are completely Red from Blood, and most are dead. THe N.H. Register stated this morning anyway.

Talking about they are not sending in troops. There’s none to send.🤷 They have to re-instate the draft to do that. And were not far from that. Everyones tired of the kids going over their and returning in body bags, for what? To turn around and hand a corrupt government back over to them? England and the US had enough playing war.

I do think its a shame that Obama could get that drival to come out of his mouth about “we can’t stand by and let tyranny rule” When thats exactly what we’ve done for 100-years between Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, Lebonnon, Germany, Spain and everywhere else.🤷 But today we can’t stand it?
 
iamrefreshed said:
I hope the US has not launched a missile. Otherwise the Omama zombies here will have to perform mental gyrations to justify their position. Just like they have to do about abortion!:mad:
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Please stick to the topic at hand.
 
iamrefreshed said:
I hope the US has not launched a missile. Otherwise the Omama zombies here will have to perform mental gyrations to justify their position. Just like they have to do about abortion!:mad:
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Wow! Only three posts before somebody invoked the (non-related) abortion issue in a thread which included Obama! A new record for Catholic.com forums!
 
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