Pres. Obama says that Gadhafi "needs to go". He says that US policy is broader than the UN mandate focusing only on protecting civilians.
This announcement comes three nights into the UN sponsored coalition strikes on Libya.
Last night included a missile attack on one building in Gadhafi's personal compound. The coalition claims that Col. Gadhafi was not the target, but that the building had contained anti-air assets.
Hundreds of cruise missiles have been launched into Libya from American and British warships in the Mediterranean. American command and control ships continue to organize the air superiority campaign. Over 100 sorties have been flown over the skies of Libya: about sixty on Sunday and from seventy to eighty today.
Rebels have counterattacked, pushing out of Benghazi and to nearby Ajdhabia. They attribute their success to airstrikes by French fighter jets on positions occupied by clusters of the Libyan government's war machines and soldiers.
There are reports of a small group of opposition forces flanking Gadhafi's forces in Ajdhabia, heading for the critical city of Brega.
The opposition also expressed concerned over sleeper cells of Gadhafi loyalists in cities. Over 150 have been arrested in Benghazi
Some see Obama's calls for the removal of Gadhafi as lending a new legitimacy to the opposition forces, who share the same goal of regime change. An overriding feeling coming from the opposition force sis that they do not want Gadhafi taken out by airstrike, instead wanting to remove him by their own hand.
Many are wary of the United States becoming involved militarily in a third state in the region. Republicans and Democrats alike are calling for more transparency, wanting the president to be more clear on what is the specific military objective for the United States in Libya.
This announcement comes three nights into the UN sponsored coalition strikes on Libya.
Last night included a missile attack on one building in Gadhafi's personal compound. The coalition claims that Col. Gadhafi was not the target, but that the building had contained anti-air assets.
Hundreds of cruise missiles have been launched into Libya from American and British warships in the Mediterranean. American command and control ships continue to organize the air superiority campaign. Over 100 sorties have been flown over the skies of Libya: about sixty on Sunday and from seventy to eighty today.
Rebels have counterattacked, pushing out of Benghazi and to nearby Ajdhabia. They attribute their success to airstrikes by French fighter jets on positions occupied by clusters of the Libyan government's war machines and soldiers.
There are reports of a small group of opposition forces flanking Gadhafi's forces in Ajdhabia, heading for the critical city of Brega.
The opposition also expressed concerned over sleeper cells of Gadhafi loyalists in cities. Over 150 have been arrested in Benghazi
Some see Obama's calls for the removal of Gadhafi as lending a new legitimacy to the opposition forces, who share the same goal of regime change. An overriding feeling coming from the opposition force sis that they do not want Gadhafi taken out by airstrike, instead wanting to remove him by their own hand.
Many are wary of the United States becoming involved militarily in a third state in the region. Republicans and Democrats alike are calling for more transparency, wanting the president to be more clear on what is the specific military objective for the United States in Libya.
"The coalition claims that Col. Gadhafi was not the target, but that the building had contained anti-air assets.?"
ReplyDeleteWait, 42 years in power, and he didn't even give himself a promotion from Colonel to General? Odd.