Could Qaddafi resist against UN?

AIR STRIKES ON LIBYA (DEVELOPING STORY)

After the U.N. Security Council authorized the use of "all necessary measures" to protect civilians under attack by Libyan government forces, U.S., British, and French forces launched fighter jets and missiles over the weekend, attacking air defense facilities and troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi near the rebel-held town of Benghazi. Rebel fighters attempted to retake the town of Ajdabiya from Qaddafi's forces earlier today but were driven back by heavy fire. Meanwhile, conflicting reports still emerge from the country: Rebels claim that Qaddafi's men continue to attack, despite their stated cease-fire; and Qaddafi loyalists claim that there were massive civilian casualties from the Allied bombardment this weekend, while Western forces deny these claims

Coalition forces launch attack on Gadhafi's army                               

Earlier this afternoon French aircraft began reconnaissance missions over Libya.Strikes were reported some hours afterwards by French aircraft against ground targets.



This photo provided by the French Army shows a French Mirage 2000 jet fighter before taking off for Libya at the military base of Dijon, central France, Saturday, March 19, 2011. (AP Photo/ Anthony Jeuland)

Top officials from the United States, Europe and the Arab world have launched immediate military action to protect civilians as Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces attacked the heart of the country's rebel uprising. The Mirages 2000 are operating in Libya. Later on this evening; some thirty minutes ago at this point, American and British submarines and warships launched 110 Tomahawk missiles against Qaddafi's Integrated Air Defence System, striking 20 targets. US, British, French, Italian and Canadian forces are to launch a strike along the Libyan coast, according to Reuters.

This photo provided by the French Army shows a pilot preparing to board a French Mirage 2000 jet fighter at the military base of Dijon, central France, Saturday, March 19, 2011. Top officials from the United States, Europe and the Arab world have launched immediate military action to protect civilians as Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces attacked the heart of the country's rebel uprising. The Mirages 2000 are operating in Libya. Poster reads: Danger, amunitions. (AP Photo / Anthony Jeuland) International Coalition Strikes Libyan Air Defenses As part of an international coalition force aimed at stopping the violence against Libyan civilians, U.S. military ships, submarines and aircraft commenced strikes against military sites and surface-to-air defense systems along the Libyan coast March 19. The purpose of these strikes is to set the conditions for the international coalition to establish a no-fly zone over Libya and to take measures to prevent attacks on the Libyan people, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

An AV-8B Harrier jump jet returns to USS KEARSARGE (LHD 3) for fuel and ammunition resupply in support of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn, March 20, 2011. The jet is from the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Coalition forces launched the operation to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973, which protects the Libyan people from their ruler. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Michael S. Lockett [DoD in Action]

International Coalition Strikes Libyan Air Defenses
As part of an international coalition force aimed at stopping the violence against Libyan civilians, U.S. military ships, submarines and aircraft commenced strikes against military sites and surface-to-air defense systems along the Libyan coast March 19.

The purpose of these strikes is to set the conditions for the international coalition to establish a no-fly zone over Libya and to take measures to prevent attacks on the Libyan people, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

President Barack Obama authorized the offensive operation by U.S. forces in order to implement a no-fly zone over Libya. The goal is to stop the violence against civilians in Libya and assist Libyan citizens in working toward a rapid resolution to the crisis.

The strikes commenced at 7 p.m. CET, and continued through to the morning, with a total of 19 sorties flown, and 124 U.S. and U.K. Tomahawk land-to-air missiles launched, with 20 targets hit with various levels of damage.



"These measures were taken in order to prevent further attacks against Libyan civilians," said Adm. Samuel J. Locklear, III, commander, Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. "The international community strongly condemns the use of violence against Libyan civilians. We are committed, first and foremost, to the protection and safety of the Libyan people while promoting a resolution to the crisis."

U.S military assets that participated in the strikes include: two U.S. Navy ships and three submarines; 15 U.S. Air Force aircraft, including the B-2 Spirit Bomber and four U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers, all of which launched strikes against targets in Libya. These targets include SA-5, 5A-3 and 5A-2 air defense systems around Libyan airfields and various munitions sites.

Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is commanded by Locklear, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and is operating from the USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20).

Operation Odyssey Dawn as it has been named is a go USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. MEDITERRANEAN SEA The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. This was one of approximately 110 cruise missiles fired from U.S. and British ships and submarines that targeted about 20 radar and anti-aircraft sites along Libya's Mediterranean coast. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo ) Mar 19, 2011 [navy.mil] FC2 Nathan PAPPAS/AFP/ In this image released by the US Navy Visual News Service, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stout DDG 55) launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. (March 19, 2011)

A MiG-23ML Flogger-B, seen in this composite photo, plummeted from the sky and burst into flames as artillery fire fell in Benghazi, Libya on Saturday, March 19. An opposition fighter said the plane belonged to rebels and was dispatched to try to stop forces supporting Moammar Gadhafi from entering Bengazi. CNN could not independently confirm who the plane belonged to.



A rafale jet fighter takes off at the military base of Saint Dizier, France, on Saturday, March 19, 2011.

Top officials from the United States, Europe and the Arab world have launched immediate military action to protect civilians as Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces attacked the heart of the country's rebel uprising. (Sebastien Dupont | ECPAD | The Associated Press)

A Danish F-16 aircraft are being prepared by his departure to Sicily, to participate in Operation Dawn Odyssey against Libya. (Photo: Jesper Kristensen) The six Danish F16 aircraft to base NATO base in Signonella the Italian island of Sicily. A technician walks past one of the Danish F16 fighter jets. One of the Danish F-16 fighter jet takes off from the NATO base in Sigonella, on the Italian island of Sicily. One of the Danish F-16 fighter jet takes off from the NATO base in Sigonella, on the Italian island of Sicily. American F16 takes off from Aviano base in Italy.

The course is set against Libya, where U.S., British and French forces bombed Tripoli with Tomahawk missiles at night to Monday. Libyan soldiers standing on the remnants of what the weekend was Gaddafi's administrative headquarters in Tripoli.



A 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief marshals a U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft out of a hardened aircraft shelter at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, March 20, 2011, in support of Joint Task Force (JTF) Odyssey Dawn. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Benjamin Wilson)



A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft from the 480th Fighter Squadron takes off from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, March 19, 2011, in support of Joint Task Force (JTF) Odyssey Dawn. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew B. Fredericks)

JTF Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973.

UNSCR 1973 authorizes all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Qadhafi regime forces. JTF Odyssey Dawn is commanded by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, III. More than 110 cruise missiles were launched by US and UK ships and submarines.

Gaddafi supporters condemned the strikes, saying the West was seeking to assassinate the Libyan leader, whose location remains unknown. The Western coalition - which is backed by a number of Arab nations - rejected the claim.

U-2 plane takes off from the RAF (Royal Air Force) Akrotiri a British military base near southern port city of Limassol, Cyprus, Sunday, March 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Ghardabiya Airfield - Damaged Aircraft Shelters Operation Odyssey Dawn Sunday, March 20, 2011.

Encouraged by the strikes on their opponents, the rebels said they were fighting to push pro-Gaddafi troops further away from Benghazi, reclaiming towns under the government's control.

One of three U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber aircraft returns to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., from a mission in supporting the no-fly zone over Libya, March 20, 2011, as part of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kenny Holston)

	The no-fly zone was imposed by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 authorizing military action. Western nations have carried out a series of air strikes on Libyan targets for a second night, enforcing last week's UN resolution on a no-fly zone.

The coalition said the US-led strikes hit Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddahi's air defence systems and other military targets. Western officials later said there were indications that the air campaign was highly successful.

A Danish F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off from the Sigonella Nato airbase on the southern Italian island of Sicily


An aerial view of the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, seen in this photo released on March 20, 2011 by French Defense communication and audiovisual production agency, after leaving the naval base of Toulon March on 20, 2011. The carrier, carrying a crew of around 1,800 and some 20 aircraft, was accompanied by an attack submarine, several frigates and a refueling ship defense officials said. (Reuters/ECPAD/Handout)

Library picture of HMS Triumph, Britain's nuclear submarine, which was involved in the first strikes against Col Gaddafi's air defences. The Trafalgar-class sub fired Tomahawk missiles from the Mediterranean.

Tracer fire is seen in the sky from anti-aircraft rounds fired above the hotel where foreign media and government officials are staying, in Tripoli, Libya, as explosions rocked the city Sunday March 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The Libyan army fires anti-aircraft rounds during air strikes by coalition forces in Tripoli. The Libyan army fired anti-aircraft guns against Allied forces. A Libyan man covers the body of a Gaddafi loyalist soldier killed in a French air strike early on Sunday morning on the southern outskirts of Benghazi. (Photo /Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters)

Allied forces have carried out strikes from the air and sea against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces to protect Libyan citizens and enforce a no-fly zone. This picture shows the site where Gaddafi's forces were targeted by a French air strike in al Wayfiyah, 22 miles (35kms) west of Benghazi

A Libyan rebel walks past a wrecked T-55 tank from Gaddafi's forces which was targeted by a French air strike in Shat al Bedin, 31 miles (50 kms) west of Benghazi. Smoke billows from wrecked tanks belonging to Moammer Khaddafi forces in al-Wayfiyah, 35 km West of Benghazi after being hit by French warplanes on March 20, 2011.

Dozens of Kadhafi military vehicles, including tanks, were destroyed in morning air strikes by the coalition west of Benghazi, as a semblance of normality returned with cars out on the road and street markets reopened in the rebel bastion. AFP Photo/Patrick Baz

Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft have taken part in their first ever combat mission. The Pentagon said the US and UK had fired more than 110 missiles, with French planes attacking pro-Gaddafi forces near rebel-held city of Benghazi.

The bombing was carried out at night. The building was 4 floors high and the remnants of the scattered in a radius of 100 meters

.Air strikes frames Gaddafi-loyal forces The pictures rolls in from Libya through the international photo agencies. Here is the military vehicles from Gaddafi's forces hit by missiles from koalitionsfly.

A rebel fightingcarries his weapon in an area on the outskirts of Benghazi. A Gaddafi tank explodesafter being hit by coalition forces outside Benghazi on Sunday.

Marine jets involved in Libya airstrikes

North Carolina-based Marine attack jets launched airstrikes against Libyan ground forces early Sunday, officials said in a news release.The AV-8B Harriers, operating from the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge off the coast of North Africa, are assigned to Camp Lejeune’s 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The strikes, aimed at stemming the offensive launched against rebel forces by longtime Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, also included French aircraft, according to reports. Mar 20, 2011

Air strike: SAS units have carried out secret reconnaissance missions to provide up-to-date information on the Libyan armed forces



SAS 'Smash' squads on the ground in Libya to mark targets for coalition jets
SAS teams are on the ground in Libya with orders to pinpoint and destroy Colonel Gaddafi’s weapons.
Dozens of the crack troops have been operating behind enemy lines to identify targets for bombing raids.
Highly-trained units, known as ‘Smash’ teams for their prowess and destructive ability, have carried out secret reconnaissance missions to provide up-to-date information on the Libyan armed forces.
(By Defence Correspondent - 21st March 2011)



Denmark adds F-16A Falcon fighter jets to help patrol Libya's no-fly zone.



A rebel fighter points his gun at a suspected Gaddafi supporter as other rebels try to protect the suspected supporter, on a road between Benghazi and Ajdabiyah, near Ajdabiyah March 21, 2011. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevi)



Western nations have carried out air strikes on Libyan targets for a third night, as they enforce last week's UN resolution aimed at protecting civilians.

U.S. rescue chopper shoots six Libyan villagers as they welcome pilots of downed Air Force jet 22nd March 2011

The helicopter strafed the ground as it landed in a field outside Benghazi beside the downed U.S. Air Force F-15E Eagle which ran into trouble during bombing raid last night.And a handful of locals who had come to greet the pilots were hit - among them a young boy who may have to have a leg amputated because of injuries caused by a bullet wound.

Crashed: Onlookers surround the wreckage of a U.S Air Force F-15E fighter jet after it crashed near the eastern city of Benghazi


Ruins: The fighter jet crashed in Libya overnight after apparent mechanical failure. Both men ejected safely and escaped with only minor injuries

The first confirmed casualties of the allied operation, the Channel Four's International Editor Lindsey Hilsum confirmed the civilian casualties.The crew of the fighter plane had enjoyed a miraculous escape after suffering suspected mechanical failure during the third night of air strikes on Colonel Gaddafi's military positions. As one crew member was surrounded by locals, he held his arms out, calling 'okay, okay', according to the Evening Standard - but the grateful Libyans queued to thank him and give him juice.Younis Amruni told the newspaper: 'I hugged him and said "Don't be scared, we are your friends". We are so grateful to these men who are protecting the skies.' The plane, based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, had set off from Aviano in Italy but came down at Bu Mariem, some 24 miles east of Benghazi.

The jet's wreckage is set to be recovered or destroyed by the Americans, to prevent the plant coming into Gaddafi's hands, while the crew were seen by a doctor in the rebel stronghold before being taken to a U.S. ship.

The U.S. military confirmed an Air Force F-15 Strike Eagle crashed in Libya but it was not shot down, while Vince Crawley, a spokesman for the Africa Command, said both crew members ejected and sustained minor injuries. Gauging the reaction of locals in the area, Hilsum said 'the local Libyans do not seem resentful, they still want the coalition forces to keep operating'.The incident is an embarrassment all round for the coalition, which had been met by strong anti-aircraft fire over Tripoli last night. However, the U.S. did managed to fire 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya in the past 12 hours, a military spokeswoman confirmed today.



A Libyan naval military facility damaged by last night's air strikes in eastern Tripoli



Anti-aircraft fire and explosions reverberated across Tripoli for a third night on Monday and state television said several sites had come under attack in the capital

Anti-aircraft fire and explosions reverberated across Tripoli for a third night on Monday and state television said several sites had come under attack in the capital. Details also emerged of Britain’s Tomahawk cruise missile attack on Gaddafi’s presidential compound in Tripoli, destroying a military command and control centre, while up to 800 Royal Marines were placed on standby to move to the Mediterranean.

A total of 159 Tomahawks have been fired by the United States and the United Kingdom since the mission -- called Operation Odyssey Dawn -- began on Saturday. 'We think we have been very effective in degrading his ability to control his regime forces,' said General Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command. Gaddafi went on the offensive today on the ground in Libya. A doctor in Misarata said loyalist tanks were in the streets and snipers controlled the main roadway in Misarata, with international forces not implementing the no-fly zone in the coastal city.



Locals check out the wreckage of the F15E and pick up mementos from the crash site



Rebellion: Rebel fighters firing missiles against the Libyan leader's forces in a desert near Ajdabiya



Ready to go: RAF Typhoons prepare for take off at Gioia del Colle airbase, Italy, ahead of tonight's enforcement of the no-fly zone

	Two Italian Air Force F-16 jet fighters fly over the Birgi NATO Airbase in Trapani on the southern Italian island of Sicily March 23, 2011. Western governments inched closer to a deal on Wednesday over who should lead military operations against Muammar Gaddafi's forces in Libya, with France saying NATO will have only a " technical role" .« Read less (Reuters / Tony Gentile)

The coalition has not yet commented on the latest targets, but a BBC correspondent in Tripoli said the sky was lit up by anti-aircraft fire, and the rumbling of missile strikes could be heard

Two Qatari Mirage 2000 jet fighters are seen at the tarmac of the old Larnaca airport where they stopped for emergency refuelling on their way to a U.S. military base in Crete

	Italian Eurofighter jets prepare to land at Trapani-Birgi airbase in Sicily. A defiant Moamer Kadhafi has said Libya is "ready for battle", on the fifth day of UN-backed military strikes on his oil-rich country.

More on This Story:

Western aircraft have flown more than 300 sorties over Libya (23 March)

Gaddafi's air force 'defeated' :

The commander of British aircraft operating over Libya has said that Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's air force "no longer exists as a fighting force"

Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell said the allies could now operate "with near impunity" over the skies of Libya. He said they were now applying unrelenting pressure on the Libyan armed forces. He was speaking during a visit to RAF aircrew based at Gioia del Colle in southern Italy.



"We are watching over the innocent people of Libya and ensuring that we protect them from attack" he said."We have the Libyan ground forces under constant observation and we attack them whenever they threaten civilians or attack population centres."

His comments come as Western leaders debate who leads the intervention, with the US keen to hand over to Nato.Western aircraft have flown more than 300 sorties over Libya in recent days and more than 162 Tomahawk cruise missiles have been fired.

Snipers: Earlier, witnesses reported that international forces had launched new air strikes near Libya's rebel-held western city of Misrata.Forces loyal to Col Gaddafi initially pulled back, but Misrata residents said snipers continued to target people from rooftops.A Misrata resident told Reuters by telephone: "This morning, air strikes twice hit the airbase where Gaddafi's brigades are based."Two people were killed by snipers an hour ago in the centre of the town. Their bodies are now at the hospital, which I visited a while ago. Shooting is still going on there now." A doctor in the city also told the BBC that snipers were continuing to shoot at civilians, and confirmed at least one person had been killed.Witnesses said tanks pulled back from their positions, from where they have been spearheading a siege of the city for days. Residents fleeing the town described shelling, gunfire and houses on fire.

Col Gaddafi's forces have also resumed their pounding of Zintan, near the Tunisian border, according to reports. And there are also reports of fierce fighting between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces in the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya. Late on Tuesday, Col Gaddafi made his first public appearance in a week and gave a short speech to a crowd of supporters in Tripoli. He urged "all Islamic armies" to join him, saying: "We will be victorious."

Naval blockade - Meanwhile, ships from Nato nations have started patrolling off the Libyan coast to enforce a UN arms embargo against Col Gaddafi's regime. A spokesman for the Western military alliance, Canadian Brigadier General Pierre St Amand, said six vessels were taking part in the first day of patrols. They aim to intercept and board ships suspected of ferrying arms to the Libyan government. "If after inspection, doubts remain as to the legitimacy of the cargo, the vessel will be diverted to a designated port for further inspection," Gen St-Amand said. Nato members are currently holding talks about assuming responsibility for the no-fly zone over Libya.

Turkey, Nato's sole Muslim member, is an integral part of the naval blockade but expressed concern about the alliance taking over command of the no-fly zone from the US.US defence secretary Robert Gates has arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo for talks on both Libya and Egypt's hoped-for transition to democracy following the fall of Hosni Mubarak. He was previously in Moscow, where President Dmitry Medvedev criticised what he called the "indiscriminate use of force" by coalition aircraft in Libya. Mr Gates rejected the criticism of the air strikes, saying Col Gaddafi was lying about civilian casualties.
Russia abstained from last week's UN Security Council resolution that authorised armed intervention in Libya to protect civilians.

Libya in flames: French fighter jets shoot down Gaddafi warplane in battle for Misratah.March 24, 2011. Rebel fighters take cover from shelling on the Benghazi-Ajdabiyah road. Photograph: Goran Tomasevic / Reuters. March 24, 2011.

French air force pilots land their Rafale fighter jet at Solenzara 126 airbase in Corsica after a mission over Libya. Photograph: Francois Mori/AP. March 24, 2011.

A French warplane has destroyed a Libyan aircraft that had been flying in breach of the UN no-fly zone, French officials say.The smaller trainer aircraft had just landed in the besieged city of Misrata when it was attacked, they say.It is the first incident of its kind since enforcement of the zone began.

Meanwhile, Turkey's foreign minister has said Nato will take command of the international mission in Libya within a day or two."Compromise has been reached in principle in a very short time," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted as saying after a conference call with his US, French and British counterparts."The operation will be handed over to Nato completely."

Turkey, a Nato member, had earlier raised objections to the organisation taking command.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said there was no sign that the Libyan government complying with UN Security Council demands for an immediate ceasefire.He warned that the UN Security Council would take "additional measures" if Libya did not comply.

Single engine- Dozens of coalition missiles have already hit military bases, with the aim of ending Col Muammar Gaddafi's ability to launch air attacks.

UK officials said on Wednesday that Libya's air force no longer existed as a fighting force. Initial reports of the French action said the Libyan plane, a G-2/Galeb with a single engine, was in the air when it was hit. But French military spokesman Col Thierry Burkhard later said the plane had just landed when the attack took place.



The French jet, a Rafale, fired an air-to-ground missile, other reports said.
Earlier, the French military said their planes had hit an air base about 250km (155 miles) south of the Libyan coastline, but did not give any further information on the location of the target or the damage. Western military planes were also said to have hit the town of Sebha in southern Libya, according to residents and media reports. Fresh fighting has meanwhile been reported in Misrata, scene of a bitter battle for control which has lasted for many days. One doctor quoted by the AFP news agency said pro-Gaddafi forces had killed more than 100 people and injured 1,300 in the past week. Misrata resident Muhammad told the BBC many large explosions were heard overnight in the city.


A Libyan rebel dressed in a jacket of the Italian national soccer team celebrates with a rocket in the outskirts of Benghazi, eastern Libya, (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus

See. Al Quwwatal Jawwiya al Jamahiriya - Libyan Arab Republic Air Force capacity


(25.03.2011)