The initial French operation, thought to have been largely focused on reconnaissance, was backed up by US and British missile strikes in the no-fly zone mission code named “Odyssey Dawn”. Canadian and Italian forces also joined the bid to keep up continuous pressure on the Gaddafi troops throughout the night.
The move begins what threatens to be a long and uncertain fight against forces loyal to the discredited Libyan leader. Nonetheless the international community appeared to have overcome initial divisions to give the green light to immediate military action at a summit of Arab, African and European leaders in Paris early on Saturday.
The US and the UK had fired some 110 cruise missiles at over 20 targets, the Pentagon said on Saturday, but acknowledged that the impact of the strikes would not be fully clear until daybreak.
Col Gaddafi broadcast a speech on Libyan television hours after the bombardment began. Calling the allies “colonial crusaders”, he said that it was now “necessary to open the depots and arm all the people with weapons to defend the independence, unity and honour of Libya”.
Vice Adm William Gortney, director of the US Joint Staff, told a briefing that the missiles were aimed at critical nodes in Libya’s air defence system, such as surface to air missiles and communications sites, mostly in the west of the country. He added that the attacks on the country were temporarily under US operation command and control but that command would pass to the coalition.The Libyan government said that air strikes had hit the capital Tripoli and Misrata, a town 150km to the east, where government forces have been fighting rebels for days.
US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that he had authorised US armed forces to begin “limited” engagement to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.“We are creating the conditions to be able to stand up a no-fly zone,” Adm Gortney said.
“This is not an outcome that the US or any of our partners sought,” Mr Obama said in Brazil, where he had started a scheduled five-day trip to Latin America. “Even yesterday the international community offered Muammer Gaddafi the opportunity to pursue an immediate ceasefire ... But despite the hollow words of his government he has ignored the opportunity.”
Mr Obama added: “I am deeply aware of the risks of any military action ... But we cannot stand idly by ... Actions have consequences and the writ of the international community must be enforced ... That is the cause of this coalition.”
Since the strikes are being carried out by an ad hoc coalition, rather than by Nato, a more lasting command structure will have to be set up in coming days.
Adm Gortney said the strikes hit their targets in Libya at about 15:00 Eastern Standard time. He refused to discuss whether future targets might include Col Gaddafi’s command and control headquarters, or any other sites, but said the mission would strictly adhere to the UN Security Council resolution’s goal of protecting civilians.
In Tripoli, thousands of young people have been mobilised to converge on Col Gaddafi’s compound in Bab al Azizia, chanting and shouting slogans, possibly in an effort to discourage airstrikes on the compound.
Ben Rhodes, the deputy National Security Adviser for strategic communications, said Col Gaddafi’s “clear violation” of international and the threat of atrocities against his own people were the reasons for the military action.
He declined to say how long the US expected its military role to last but suggested it would be most robust “at the front end” of the operation, with its partners in Europe continuing their leadership in the later stages.
British officials said that it was essential to degrade Col Gaddafi’s ability to attack incoming aircraft before further air sorties could be launched against his forces. It is thought highly likely that British jets will be in operation over Libya in the aftermath of the attack on his ground to air capability.
Major General John Lorimer, the chief of defence staff’s strategic communications, said late on Saturday night: “British Armed Forces, as authorised by the UN Security Council Resolution 1973, have participated in a co-ordinated strike against Libyan Air Defence systems. In addition to the Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) launched from a Trafalgar Class submarine, I can now confirm that the RAF has also launched Stormshadow missiles from a number of Tornado GR4 fast jets, which flew direct from RAF Marham as part of a coordinated coalition plan to enforce the resolution.”
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Germany, which abstained from supporting the Security Council resolution authorising military intervention, on Saturday said the initiative had to succeed. Angela Merkel, German chancellor, said she had offered German AWACS aerial reconnaissance troops to take over duties in Afghanistan so US forces could be freed up to do the same job over Libya.
French defence officials said a no-fly zone of 100kms by 150kms had been established over Benghazi, stretching along the Libyan coast. Roughly 25 aircraft had been in the air since Saturday morning, and the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle would leave the port of Toulon on Sunday.
French forces launched their strike less than three hours after 22 leaders from the Arab world, Africa, the US and other western powers met in Paris to give the go-ahead for action against the regime.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who with Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, has led the fight for international action against Col Gadaffi, said after the meeting that the attacks were aimed at “protecting the population from the murderous madness of a regime which by killing its own people has lost all legitimacy.”
Defence experts said that the US military could be expected to neutralise the communications systems being used by Col Gadaffi’s forces.
Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State who had been in Paris for the summit, said Washington would bring its “unique capabilities” to bear to help its European and Canadian allies.
Mr Cameron said Col Gaddafi “has made this happen. He has lied to the international community, he has promised a ceasefire, he has broken that ceasefire ... We cannot allow the slaughter of civilians to continue.”
Mr Sarkozy said the aim of intervention was not regime change but to “allow the Libyan people to choose their own destiny.”
“We do not want to decide in their place,” he said in a statement after the summit in Paris. “We are protecting the population from the murderous madness of a regime which in killing its own people has lost all legitimacy.”
The minute Col Gaddafi stopped the attacks on his own people “the doors of diplomacy would open,” he said.
However the Libyan government remained defiant saying that the countries which backed military action would pay a heavy price for their decision. Mohammed Zweid, secretary of the Peoples’ General Committee, Libya’s parliament, said on Saturday night: “this barbaric aggression against the Libyan people comes after the announcement of a cease fire”, adding that both civilian and military targets were hit.
He confirmed, however, that fighting continued on Saturday in the streets of the eastern city of Benghazi, but said government forces had not been involved, a view which has been refuted by eyewitnesses there. Earlier Saturday, Libya’s state television had announced that the people of Benghazi had spontaneously “risen up” against the rebel government.
“There has been a fight in Benghazi between people who want to cleanse the city of extremists and armed militias. And the fighting is continuing to cleanse the city. These are people who are volunteers, not soldiers,” said Mr Zweid.
Libyan rebels appealed for foreign intervention earlier on Saturday after government forces attacked rebels in Benghazi.
At least five western nations have said they might lend military assets or bases for the operation. The five were Canada, Italy, Denmark, Spain and Belgium.
Four Arab countries – Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan – are expected to play some role in the coalition, but in a support capacity rather offering direct military action.
Qatar formally confirmed its participation, but said the exact role was still being defined. The UAE said it would not be contributing military assets.
Brigadier Ben Barry, Senior Fellow for Land Forces at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said there were risks for the coalition in taking military action. “France, Britain and the US may not have enough reconnaissance on the ground to know who exactly they are striking around Benghazi. They need to know that it is government forces they are hitting, not rebels or innocent civilians.”
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