Thread: US begins assault against Libyan air defenses

I'd just like to point out that if they used nukes, the fighting would end immediately.

it begins...

I was just reading about this...

U.S. says five-nation coalition launching Libya strikes

(Reuters) - A coalition of the United States and four other nations launched military action against Libya on Saturday, officials said, as the West tries to force Muammar Gaddafi from power.

A U.S. official told reporters on condition of anonymity that a coalition including the United States, France, Britain, Canada and Italy had begun launching strikes on Libya designed to cripple Muammar Gaddafi's air defenses.

At least some Arab nations are expected to join the coalition later, the official said.

A second U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said missiles were launched from a warship against Libyan targets.

U.S. forces and planes will take part in the operation, called "Odyssey Dawn," that will mainly target air defenses around the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Misrata.

Some 25 coalition ships, including three U.S. submarines armed with Tomahawk missiles, are stationed in the Mediterranean, a military slide showed. Five U.S. surveillance planes are also in the area, it showed.

And by "five part coalition", they mean it was 98% US, 2% the rest.

So after this dictators gone who's going to babysit this nation of hotheads until they decide to get their act together?

And to think Jesus came from this area of the world.....

I love how obama runs on getting us out of the middle east and now he is attacking somewhere else? LOL. awesome

Originally Posted by bio-chem

I love how obama runs on getting us out of the middle east and now he is attacking somewhere else? LOL. awesome

yeah, Obama made this decision all on his own.

U.S. fires on Libyan air defense targets

(CNN) -- The U.S. military launched its first airstrikes on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses Saturday, a Pentagon official said.

"Earlier this afternoon, over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from both U.S. and British ships and submarines -- struck more than 20 integrated air defense systems and other air defense facilities ashore," U.S. Vice Adm. William Gortney told reporters.

He said the majority of the targets were on or near the coast, in the western part of the country.

A senior military official said earlier that U.S. Tomahawk missiles landed in the area around Tripoli and Misrata, adding that the action was taken after Gadhafi failed to comply with a cease-fire.

"He's clearly been on the offensive," the official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said of Gadhafi. "He said that he was going to do a cease-fire and he continued to move his forces into Benghazi."

U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed that he had authorized "limited military action in Libya" and that "that action has now begun."

He is planning for the U.S. portion of the military action in Libya to last just a few days, according to a senior administration official.

"In terms of the heavy kinetic portion of this military action, the president envisions it as lasting days, not weeks," said the senior official, who was not authorized to speak about sensitive military matters. "After that we'll take more of a supporting role."

Obama noted that military action "is not an outcome that the U.S. or any of our partners sought," pointing out that Gadhafi was offered the opportunity to comply with an immediate cease-fire.

"But despite the hollow words of his government, he has ignored that opportunity," Obama said. "His attacks on his own people have continued, his forces have been on the move," and the danger for the Libyan people has grown.

The airstrikes on Gadhafi's air defenses are the first phase in what will likely be a multiphase military operation.

"At this point we are creating the conditions to be able to set up the no-fly zone," Gortney said.

The senior military official said earlier that phase two of the mission would include planes flying over Libyan airspace near Tripoli, and in the Mediterranean Sea near Benghazi.

The coalition says the no-fly zone imposed as part of a U.N. Security Council resolution aims to prevent further attacks by regime forces on Libyan citizens and opposition groups, especially around Benghazi.

In addition to the United States, four nations have publicly announced their participation: the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and France. Other nations are expected to announce their participation soon.

The initial mission will be commanded by U.S. Army Gen. Carter Ham and U.S. Africa Command. The Joint Task Force's "Odyssey Dawn" is being commanded by U.S. Navy Adm. Sam Locklear, on board the USS Mount Whitney in the Mediterranean Sea.

"The use of force is not our first choice, and is not a choice that I make lightly," Obama said in a statement from Brazil where he is on a tour of Latin America. "But we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his own people that there will be no mercy."

U.S. fires on Libyan air defense targets - CNN.com

Originally Posted by Prince

yeah, Obama made this decision all on his own.

who cares? he is doing the same thing people got mad at bush for. but this time it's obama who can do no wrong in the eyes of his devoted cult followers

At least there is a real reason behind this, Qaddafi (or whatever his name is) is a fucking nut-job, but the Iraq invasion,man that was some big bullshit..

Originally Posted by Imosted

At least there is a real reason behind this, Qaddafi (or whatever his name is) is a fucking nut-job, but the Iraq invasion,man that was some big bullshit..

so Saddam Hussein was a model global citizen?

Originally Posted by Prince

yeah, Obama made this decision all on his own.

I know this was sarcasm, but Obama really did not want to get involved at all. He was forced into this by the UN and the people taking part in it. While I have mixed feelings on being in another situation, I think it makes him look weak.

Originally Posted by Imosted

At least there is a real reason behind this, Qaddafi (or whatever his name is) is a fucking nut-job, but the Iraq invasion,man that was some big bullshit..

"USA, you can't go around attacking people!"

"USA, can you please go attack these mean people for us?"

Fucking, really...

Originally Posted by dg806

I know this was sarcasm, but Obama really did not want to get involved at all. He was forced into this by the UN and the people taking part in it.

yup.

Bros do you really think you can compare quaddafi and saddam?
where are all those mass destruction weapons, nuclear weapons?
PLS tell me what is the relation between September 11 osama and IRAQ?
Why did USA invaded Iraq?
Now Libya there is a real reason to attack and get rid of him...

With all that money and time spent, lives lost in Iraq, OSAMA would have been caught and fucking hanged 20 times!!!

momar is now stating that civies were killed. He's going to spin this in his favor claiming western imperialism against a muslim nation while Iran fans the flames. That was pretty much expected though. This is going to turn into a Sadam situation for sure. In the end, he'll probably be captured and tried on that Pan am flight 103 incident.

Hypothetical question:

What would happen if Libya captured a U.S. special op's soldier? Would Obama take major heat for lying about deploying ground troops? What sort of flack could his admin take if that did occur?

Originally Posted by DOMS

"USA, you can't go around attacking people!"

"USA, can you please go attack these mean people for us?"

Fucking, really...

this

Originally Posted by Imosted

Bros do you really think you can compare quaddafi and saddam?
where are all those mass destruction weapons, nuclear weapons?
PLS tell me what is the relation between September 11 osama and IRAQ?
Why did USA invaded Iraq?
Now Libya there is a real reason to attack and get rid of him...

With all that money and time spent, lives lost in Iraq, OSAMA would have been caught and fucking hanged 20 times!!!

this doesn't have shit to do with oil, and neither did iraq. holy crap people. the fact is both leaders where bad people. both should get their asses kicked. i honestly have not problem with airstrikes. if we send in ground troops other than special ops then my opinion might change.

Originally Posted by Imosted

Why did USA invaded Iraq?

Because both the UN and Kuwait asked us to? The war started in '90. The US chose to halt the attack, and not to resume hostilities, if they complied with their demands. They didn't, so Saddam got the shit beat out of him.

Originally Posted by Imosted

oh true still the big reason is oil again...

Are you implying that all of the civilian revolts (tunisia, egypt) were orchestrated in some big COINTELPRO scheme? How could they of predicted what momar was going to do? Maybe he was secretly captured already but we're making it seem like he's resisting...just so we can get in and set up shop. [/TinFoilHat]

Originally Posted by bio-chem

this doesn't have shit to do with oil, and neither did iraq. holy crap people. the fact is both leaders where bad people. both should get their asses kicked. i honestly have not problem with airstrikes. if we send in ground troops other than special ops then my opinion might change.

I'm ever so glad the US invaded Iraq for its oil. That way the price of gas wouldn't get to $5.

I don't know if you remember when Serbians started killing Bosnian almost 18 years ago, neither NATO nor USA did a single thing for more then a year, almost 1 million Bosnian died...no oil...
Africa hundreds of thousands died in civil wars, nothing...no oil
Iraq invades Kuwait War begins in less then a week...lots of oil
Iraq does nothing but again gets invaded oh yeah nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction i forgot
Libya gets attacked with in a month lots of oil...hmmm duh
use some logic bro

Oil is everything....there is always a reason behind bringing democracy...

Originally Posted by Imosted

I don't know if you remember when Serbians started killing Bosnian almost 18 years ago, neither NATO nor USA did a single thing for more then a year, almost 1 million Bosnian died...no oil...
Africa hundreds of thousands died in civil wars, nothing...no oil
Iraq invades Kuwait War begins in less then a week...lots of oil
Iraq does nothing but again gets invaded
Libya get attacked with in a month lots of oil...hmmm duh
use some logic bro

Did Bosnia ask the US for help?

You're really going to bring up Africa as an example of the USA dropping the ball? This shows you know nothing about the world or how it works.

Again, someone bitching about the US' use of force around the globe because it wasn't what they wanted.

Bro i am not bitching, i am just giving you some facts...it is up to you to believe whatever you want...but do you really think that USA loves democracy so much that she will spent trillions of dollars just to help Poor Iraqis and Libyans?
And yeah Bosnia did ask for help, read some history...it was all over the news...

For Africa do you even know what happened in uganda? nigeria? malawi?
Nobody cared and still nobody cares, there is nothing but fucking plains and valleys there.

PLUS just a heads up France started bombing Libya, not USA.

If we're going to remake the whole song "to the Shores of Tripoli..." then lets just start right and attack the "Halls of Montezuma" while we're at it.....

The two main reasons most Americans were against the war in Iraq or ended up being against the Iraq war was:

#1 - Bush lied to us about "weapons of mass destruction" to get American support for the war, and then lied again telling us he got "bad intelligence".

#2 - Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, the only place we ever should have been was Afghanistan.

Originally Posted by Prince

The two main reasons most Americans were against the war in Iraq or ended up being against the Iraq war was:

#1 - Bush lied to us about "weapons of mass destruction" to get American support for the war, and then lied again telling us he got "bad intelligence".

#2 - Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, the only place we ever should have been was Afghanistan.

#1 Congress also saw the same intelligence and agreed there was a danger.
#2 Sadamm was a bad guy who broke how many UN sanctions?