LIBYA: Arab League head criticizes airstrikes as Western forces impose no-fly zone
A coordinated attack by Western forces targeting Libyan air capabilities and armor appears to have succeeded in damaging Libyan military installations and armor, but Arab support for the no-fly zone may be waning.
Arab League head Amr Moussa told reporters Sunday that the Arab league thought the use of force was excessive following an overnight bombing campaign that Libya claims killed at least 48 people.
"What we want is civilians' protection, not shelling more civilians," he was quoted saying by the Associated Press.
The Los Angeles Times' Borzou Daragahi reported on Saturday night's bombing campaign from a rooftop in Tripoli (audio link) where heavy anti-aircraft fire could be heard from Kadafi's forces on the ground.
U.S., British and French forces sought to seriously limit Kadafi's ability to advance on rebel-held cities, but Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that Kadafi's forces continued to shell the rebel-held city of Misurata.
As of Sunday afternoon, conflicting reports had emerged on whether Kadafi's advance on Benghazi, the seat of the rebel movement, had been halted.
Statements from U.S. and British military officials on Sunday claimed a no-fly zone had been successfully imposed.
-- Meris Lutz in Beirut
Photo: A loyalist soldier was killed in a French airstrike outside the rebel-held city of Benghazi. Credit: Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters
This is why we should have never gone in.....the Arab League...(not to ne confused with the Justice League)...wants us in..but not to use force?
Get out now....who cares.....
Ret AF Dude
Posted by: Stay Away | March 20, 2011 at 11:51 AM
UN ambassador Rice and Clinton were simply looking for political cover to implement what they always wanted to do in the defense of Israel...attack Libya. The endorsement by the Arab league simply made their job easier. They dont give a darn about what the Arab league thinks.
Posted by: david | March 20, 2011 at 11:43 AM
If these Arab states don't like how this no-fly zone is being managed, then they need to get off their butts and do it themselves. We sell them all those expensive warplanes, but I guess they're just for show.
Posted by: JohnRJ08 | March 20, 2011 at 11:08 AM
While I give the Obama Administration credit for getting the endorsement of the Arab League for a "no-fly" zone, this is a good example why this so-called "Arab support" is basically only a few feet wide and an inch deep. No major Arab country is involved. There are news reports leaking out to the public about how various Arab countries have imposed this or that condition on the use of their armed forces.
This is a good example why they could never defeat Israel. They could unify themseklves politically against Israel, but they could never get their act together in military terms...either tactically or strategically.
I hope that at least some of them have agreed to bear some of the financial costs of this operation. So far, what I see is that once again, Arab states want the Western democracies to do their dirty work so they don't have to get their hands dirty...or do any heavy lifting.
Posted by: Bradford Talamon | March 20, 2011 at 11:03 AM
The Arab league needs to decide - either they want us there in which case there needs to be a "softening up" that will be fierce, or they should not have opened their door in the first place. There will be no "clean" way really to clear out Qaddafi. Quit whining already.
Posted by: me.yahoo.com/a/U2ryJ7sxi_iz8S427GCLANTfx.s0 | March 20, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Name one war that has occurred and NO innocent lives were lost. Having said that I think it's time the oil rich nations in the Middle East solve their own problems. Our efforts don't appear to be appreciated
Posted by: Helen | March 20, 2011 at 10:46 AM
The first thing they should take out is Kadafi's State TV and State Radio stations so he can't spread more propaganda and lies about what he is doing versus his opposition. That is the core of the problem. (Also, that there are people who still believe this swine.)
Posted by: J in Pasadena | March 20, 2011 at 10:45 AM
These people are pretty hard to please.
Oil definitely is behind a lot of this and guess what there's an easy fix! Develop cars that are super efficient and/or run on batteries. Bang problem solved.
But from Reagan to the oil companies to Detroit getting profits from gluttonous SUV's we haven't done that.
Of course that would be taking peoples freedom to do whatever they want away. And driving inefficient SUV's is as American as thinking we can solve problems by - actually I'm not sure how these people propose to solve problems - I guess magic and believing really strongly.
Posted by: Jim Townes | March 20, 2011 at 10:40 AM
What did he think was going to happen? It boggles my mind what some civilian "leaders" think of as a no fly zone. What was the Arab League thinking when they approved of a no fly zone? What do you think happens when bombs are dropped on target? I hope the Allies will prosecute this war to the fullest until Qadaffi is gone. This is what war is about! If you do not have the stomach or the balls then don't go around saying "we favor a no fly zone". Your incompetence is unbelievable!
Posted by: Raul, Los Angeles CA | March 20, 2011 at 10:34 AM
The Arab league is like a pain in the butt girlfriend. No matter what you do to make them happy they'll always complain about something. I think the UN and US should just just walk away. The Moussa will grovel and apologize for continued assistance once they know what they lost.
Posted by: H | March 20, 2011 at 10:26 AM
"...but Arab support for the no-fly zone may be waning."
So what they thought the Coalition was going to be using Marshmellows?
Posted by: Goeasy0 | March 20, 2011 at 10:26 AM
"If they bring a knife to a fight, we bring a gun." Granted, Obama said this under different circumstances, but we get the idea. You wonder if the Arab League does.
Posted by: NameRequired | March 20, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Time for the Arab League to come off the bench and show some ACTIVE leadership and quit blaming the fixers that they hire.
They want peace but don't want to look like the bad guys so the call on allies to do the dirty work.
Posted by: johnLA | March 20, 2011 at 10:24 AM
Unbelievable. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.
Posted by: joepen | March 20, 2011 at 10:21 AM
G.W. Obama is now a war monger. He is in the pockets of big oil and Halliburton. There is no reason for us to get involved. We attacked a sovereign nation. Killing civilians with his cruise missiles just like Clinton did when he bombed schools and hospitals killing thousands of civilian men, women and children.
WAG the DOG!!!
Posted by: DavidPeoria | March 20, 2011 at 10:18 AM
What a huge mistake getting involved in war with another arab state. If anyone should come to the rescue of the Lybian people it should be the other arab nations surrounding Lybia, not the US or the Europeans.
Posted by: The Searcher | March 20, 2011 at 10:05 AM
This is normal tactics for military (and police) operations today. You go in with an overwhelming force, to make sure you have the upper hand. Once you commit to using force, there is no better way to do it, and losing is not an option.
Posted by: David B. | March 20, 2011 at 10:01 AM
He's right - and now we need to get the hell out of there. Enough oil wars. It's also time to stop propping up Israel.
Our billions and trillions of dollars are needed here at home and I'm sick of seeing 20 year olds coming home in body bags.
Posted by: Marie | March 20, 2011 at 09:50 AM
Here we go again. Yet another war of attrition. Operation Libya Freedom?
How did the last two go?
Posted by: Scythian | March 20, 2011 at 09:38 AM
Isn’t the name “Odyssey Dawn” messing with mythology a bit? After all, the original Odyssey took 10 years to complete: http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/messing-with-mythology/
Posted by: Andreas Moser | March 20, 2011 at 09:27 AM