Western powers strike Libya for second night
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A French Rafale fighter jet takes on fuel, in this photo released March 20, 2011 by ECPAD (French Defence communication and audiovisual production agency), during an airborne operation March 19, 2011 during the initial French attacks on Libya.
Credit: Reuters/ECPAD/SIRPA AIR/Christophe Patebaire
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TRIPOLI |
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Western powers launched a second wave of air strikes on Libya early on Monday after halting the advance of Muammar Gaddafi's forces on Benghazi and targeting air defenses to let their planes patrol the skies..
The U.N.-mandated intervention to protect civilians caught up in a one-month-old revolt against Gaddafi drew criticism from Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who questioned the need for a heavy bombardment, which he said had killed many civilians.
But the United States, carrying out the air strikes in a coalition with Britain, France, Italy and Canada among others, said the campaign was working and dismissed a ceasefire announcement by the Libyan military on Sunday evening.
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Britain's Defense Ministry said one of its submarines had again fired Tomahawk guided missiles on Sunday night as part of a second wave of attacks to enforce the U.N. resolution.
"We and our international partners are continuing operations in support of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973," a ministry spokesman said.
Italy said it also had warplanes in the air, after U.S. and British warships and submarines launched 110 Tomahawk missiles on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
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Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, director of the U.S. military's Joint Staff, told reporters there had been no new Libyan air activity or radar emissions, but a significant decrease in Libyan air surveillance, since strikes began Saturday.
Benghazi was not yet free from threat, said Gortney, but Gaddafi's forces in the area were in distress and "suffering from isolation and confusion" after the air assaults.
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Late on Sunday night, Libyan officials took Western reporters to Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli, a sprawling complex that houses his private quarters as well as military barracks, anti-aircraft batteries and other installations, to see what they said was the site of a missile attack two hours earlier.
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"It was a barbaric bombing," said government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim, showing pieces of shrapnel that he said came from the missile. "This contradicts American and Western (statements) ... that it is not their target to attack this place."
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A Libyan military spokesman announced a new ceasefire on Sunday, saying that "the Libyan armed forces ... have issued a command to all military units to safeguard an immediate ceasefire from 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) this evening."
Both before and after he spoke, heavy anti-aircraft gunfire boomed above central Tripoli.
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Outside Benghazi, smoldering, shattered tanks and troop carriers from what had been Gaddafi's advancing forces littered the main road. The charred bodies of at least 14 government soldiers lay scattered in the desert.
But with Gaddafi having vowed to fight to the death, there were fears his troops might try to force their way into cities, seeking shelter from air attacks among the civilian population.
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In central Benghazi, sporadic explosions and heavy exchanges of gunfire could be heard in the streets late on Sunday evening. A Reuters witness said the firing lasted about 40 minutes.
