U.S. launches first missiles against Gadhafi forces

[Turborama]

Source: CNN International

By the CNN Wire Staff
March 19, 2011 4:04 p.m. EDT

Tripoli, Libya -- The U.S. military has launched its first missiles in Libya against Moammar Gadhafi's forces, a senior Defense Department official said Saturday.

Earlier, French fighter jets deployed over Libya fired at a military vehicle on Saturday, the country's first strike against Moammar Gadhafi's military forces who earlier attacked the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

U.S. Tomahawk missiles have landed in the western area around Tripoli and Misrata, the American military official said.

"He's clearly been on the offensive," the official said of Gadhafi. "He said that he was going to do a cease-fire and he continued to move his forces into Benghazi."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/19/libya.civil.war/index.html

---

Ironically, I was listening to the report about this on Al Jazeera English and the only online article about it at the time was on Faux.

Al Jazeera English are reporting that the message coming out from the ongoing Pentagon briefing they are at is "America is going to be taking the leading role" until the coalition coalesces (paraphrasing).

Link to live stream in my signature line.

[BadGimp]

1. Praying for the safety of our men and women in uniform.

and for there to me no or minimal collateral damage or death ...

here we go again..

[alp227]

2. Fox News? Just found article on CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/19/libya.civil.war/index.html

[Turborama]

3. Thanks a lot! Fixed.

Phew.

[TMcCaleb]

4. wow

As if we arent envolved in enough quagmires........what bs.

[caseymoz]

5. Great, this war will absolutely wreck the economy.

If four dollar gas, Japan cashing its bonds, disruption in trade supply from Japan, rising food prices, disruption in oil supplies and two other wars don't. I think I forgot a few things.

Ironically, this is an intervention that has a good justification, even if its still unconstitutional.

[forty6]

8. Actually, it may, in the end HELP the oil markets, and thus...

HELP the economy worldwide, one month from now, or five years from now, whenever Libya becomes a free nation able to stabilize herself and her oil resources. Hussein tried to set his and Kuwait's wells on fire, as a desperate move... hoping that doesn't happen here, but in the end, the oil must be pumped to European and worldwide markets...the real reason for this war.

Of course, it would be nice if more people are freed from an insane dictator...as a benefit as well.

[plumbob]

10. it would be nice if more people are freed from an insane dictator

Yes, but Scott Walker cannot be recalled for a year.


Oh, wait, you meant........

[forty6]

28. Good one! Yes, let's get rid of Walker and send him to Libya.

[caseymoz]

30. There's going to be agitation from Khadafi supporters for months.

The rebels are going to be identified with colonial powers, crusaders and US. Plus, this is a highly tribalized society, similar to Afghanistan in that way, meaning that factions are going to be extremely divided. This is likely not going to last a month.

The Libyans are going to notice how quickly the world comes to the aid of an oil country where the supply is threatened. That will moderate their thanks to all.

Finally, I don't know what we'll gain from doing this to "help" the world oil supply that we didn't have with Khadafi already. In other words, we're trying to get back to the oil supply we had before, not increase it. This is a stoploss in economic terms.

In humanitarian terms, however, it's like Kosovo or Bosnia. We have to do it. Just don't expect it to improve things.

And in Constitutional terms, Obama his wiping his mouth with it. Then again, several other presidents do the same. I'd just wish they'd finally amend the Constitution to reflect the reality of Executive War. Otherwise, it makes the Constitution look like fishwrap.

[AtheistCrusader]

17. Hahaha FOUR dollar gas? Hang onto your ass...

[wordpix]

44. SELF-DELETED BY MEMBER

This message was self-deleted by wordpix.

[caseymoz]

59. I did notice how quickly a 'humanitarian' intervention came with oil involved.

I mean, where was the 'help' for Sudan?

But admit it: oil companies wouldn't be the only ones suffering from a prolonged drop in production. $5-$6 gas would create widespread pain for people far away from the oil industry. And I'm not just talking about us. With food prices high worldwide, and food production and delivery dependent on oil, you're talking famine in some places.

In fact, everyone is already hurting from this war in the form of inflation.

It's just too bad the protesters couldn't sweep Kadhafi away in a few weeks as they did in Egypt.

[Plucketeer]

6. Gang warfare

took several lives in this area last week! Oh - wait - we don't give a shit when it happens inside our borders. Never mind.

[dipsydoodle]

7. non-combat cruise missiles

see here in GD http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x690395

[jmzzll]

9. No blood for oil!

What the heck is going on here? We have no national security interests in Libya. There's no point to intervening in a third world civil war. We're already involved in two illegal wars, now the President wants to stretch out our military into a third conflict. It's none of our business.

[U4ikLefty]

31. Welcome to DU!!!

Good first post.

[Paper Roses]

11. Here we go again, I'm disgusted. Cannot we mind our own

business for once? We need to take care of the home front, not BUT into the events in the rest of the world.

Shoot, I am mad, can you tell?

[TheLastMohican]

22. The enablers of Obama and Bush

cant wait, the need the war NOW.
There is not much difference between the warmongering republicans and democrats.

[totodeinhere]

34. Well we minded our own business when genocide was committed in Rwanda,

and 800,000 people died. Sometimes the international community must act to prevent slaughter of innocent people who can receive no help from within their own country. In this case I think it is moral that we are not minding our own business. And I am not going to be xenophobic enough to think that the only events of any importance happening in the world take place on the "home front."

[wordpix]

39. +1 and our so-called "leaders" never learn about these quagmires that we "must" enter

My daughter moved to Canada 9 yrs. ago and never looked back. All I can say is, she made a great decision. How sad for the US that it's come to this.

[Baclava]

61. This IS business. 'Gotta blow up the old and dusty bombs/missles so's we can make more. '

The military industrial complex will survive.

[BenzoDia]

12. Can I get a receipt for each missile fired?

I like to keep track of all of my expenses.

[Sonoman]

25. $575K per unit.

X 112 units= $64,400,000

Sonoman

[BenzoDia]

37. Oh wow thats a big number. Thanks for the info.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

69. is that with or without the missiles that the brits fired? n/t

[kestrel91316]

13. Kaddafi may as well give it up right now. He stirred up a hornet's nest.

[tcaudilllg]

62. I don't think the rebels have much of a chance against his amazons.

[bvar22]

14. WOW. Gotta give the WAR Profiteers credit.

THAT is the fastest Mission Creep I have ever witnessed!

From "No Fly Zone".....to full on ground bombardment (with the accompanying killing of innocents) in less than 24 hours!
Full Race Mission Creep

Campaign Corks are popping in the Armaments Industry Boardrooms today!
BIG Bonuses will be had for the privileged few.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

16. Yeah, life is cheap. Now if we could just have that power to

stop wars.

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Well you see, in order to enforce a no-fly zone we have to raze every last scrap of anything on the

ground that looks like maybe, sorta, might shoot back at us.

Especially children gathering firewood. You never know when one of them has a MANPAD. Better to be safe.

[totodeinhere]

35. The ground bombardment is necessary to take out defense systems that could fire at

planes enforcing the no fly zone. And such action was authorized by the UNSC. This has to do with protecting the people of Libya from a genocidal maniac and it is not intended to feather the nests of war profiteers.

[wordpix]

41. "not intended to feather the nests of war profiteers"---Really? Read this (and 2+2 =4):

Summary: Rebel uprising causes oil corps. to lose "experts" and laborers, and there's a "huge drop" in production. Suddenly, the UN acts and the US will head operations to "urge" Gaddafi to leave. Sounds like an OIL WAR to me.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9M2AD7O0.htm


Libya oil chief says country still honoring deals


TRIPOLI, Libya

The head of Libya's national oil company says the country is honoring all its commitments and trying to recover from a huge drop in production due to a rebel uprising against ruler Moammar Gadhafi.

Shukri Ghanim told a press conference in Tripoli Saturday that production had dropped because foreign experts had left oil fields, which were then looted.

He said most of the oil fields had been "restored," but and asked foreign companies to send their laborers back to Libya. Thousands fled the country following the outbreak of the uprising last month

Gadhafi has violently repressed all signs of dissent and sent forces to capture rebel-held towns and oil fields. Regime forces were striking the rebel stronghold of Benghazi Saturday.

[bvar22]

54. Yes. I explained all that on DU yesterday...

...when the War Mongers insisted that a "No Fly Zone" wouldn't involve civilian casualties,
and there was no possibility of "Mission Creep".


Now, 24 hours later, we have creeped all the way to
"Yeehaa....Take him out!!!"

[Cognitive_Resonance]

15. Good. nt

[AlphaCentauri]

19. Mexico will be next

more people have die in Mexico than in Lybia

[tcaudilllg]

63. Syria will be next.

Hell, Syria is where we should be! Assad is absolutely brutal.

[diveguy]

20. 112 cruise missles for 20 targets

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_libya_obama

I bet more innocents died due to american missles today than dickhead killed all week. Fire another missle, we must have peace

[Sonoman]

26. $64,4000,000

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/bgm-109.htm

Sonoman

[plumbob]

29. What a shame we have no money for healthcare for the young and elderly,

housing, and more jobs.

But what the hey! Grab a flag and start wavin' or yur next!!!

[diveguy]

52. aint that the damn truth

how many patients would 64 and a half million bucks cover?

[fasttense]

66. We got a 3rd war to pay for, can't afford health care for the citizens who are paying for the war.

Can't afford food for our hungry children because their parents are paying for a 3rd war. We've got another war to pay for and can't afford housing for the homeless, or heat for the elderly, or a decent education for our children, or pensions and retirements. We got another war and now President Obama can declare he is a war president.

We can't pay for our own well-being but we sure can pay for their wars.

[tigereye]

21. oh geez. :( Didn't know it was at that point.

That's not good. :scared:

[faz]

23. Shame on Obama administration

Is that GW Bush in the White House?

[krabigirl]

33. yes it is. pretty much.

[Pterodactyl]

60. It's totally different! Obama is not Bush!

[Sonoman]

24. But, hey!, they're cheap ($575K a pop).

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/bgm-109.htm

[GliderGuider]

27. It's about time.

Libyan women and children were having their skulls blown apart by multi-barreled 23mm anti-aircraft cannons being fired down streets into peaceful protesters. Gaddafi was executing generals who refused to do that by tying their hands behind their backs and burning them alive with flamethrowers.

I've been a pacifist my whole life, but I'm wholeheartedly in favour of this action. It's about time the civilized world grew a conscience and a backbone simultaneously and stepped in on the side of the oppressed. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Not this time.

[Vinee]

42. sure. and there are still WMDs hidden in Iraq too.

[GliderGuider]

45. Imagine you were one of these men

Who had just refused to attack unarmed protestors.

http://theglobalherald.com/video-libyan-air-force-officers-burned-to-death/11653/

[Vinee]

47. it's war propaganda to justify blood for oil. NO MORE BLOOD FOR OIL!

[GliderGuider]

48. No it's not.

The casus belli in this case is extremely well documented by Libyan citizens with cell phone cameras. they have asked for a no-fly zone since the beginning, and they finally got it. As others have pointed out, there was no reason to intervene on the side of the rebels to secure oil supplies. International oil companies were already happily working in Libya. If any intervention was going to be done to secure oil supplies it would have been on the side of Gaddafi against the rebels, as Silvertongue Burlesque-oni wanted at the beginning.

This one looks to me like it's straight-up about human rights being trampled by an embarrassing madman. The UN got more involved (than they did in Rwanda for example) because Gaddafi was using Shilkas rather than machetes. Of course the fact that oil's involved got everyone's attention, but this looks to me like a just intervention.

[Vinee]

49. Saddam Hussein's brutality was well documented too. This is war for oil. Don't doubt it

Brutal dictators still run many countries across the globe but it's only the ones with oil underneath them that we seem to give a shit about for some reason. Why do you think that is? OIL is the casus bellum.

[GliderGuider]

50. So should we have let Gadaffi simply murder several hundred thousand citizens?

Because that's what it would have come to. At what point do we step in and stop the slaughter? Or if he has oil is he justified in doing anything he wants to them? Are we to keep our hands in our pockets just so we won't be accused of waging war for oil? Where is the morality in that stance?

[Vinee]

51. Sounds like propaganda to justify war for oil me. Hope and change my ass.

[plumbob]

67. So why did we let him take power in 1969 and stay since then?

What makes now so urgent?

[GliderGuider]

68. Now there's a popular uprising.

And Libyan women and children are being murdered in the streets by anti-aircraft cannon fire and snipers.

That's what's so urgent.

[plumbob]

70. And so someone should stop us from doing the same, like in Iraq

and Afghanistan.

But really, you didn't answer my question - what's different NOW from 1969 or any other year in between, including Libyan aid to the Lockerbie bombing?

[krabigirl]

32. more "hope and change"TM!! Amerika, f yeah!

[rayofreason]

36. Hmmm....

MARCH 19, 2011
OBAMA: 'Today we are part of a broad coalition. We are answering the calls of a threatened people. And we are acting in the interests of the United States and the world'...

MARCH 19, 2003
BUSH: 'American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger'...

[wordpix]

38. oh, geez, how did I not guess "America is going to be taking the leading role" ?

:sarcasm:

[Vinee]

40. So, instead of getting us out of war, he dragged us into another one? He's slicker than Libyan oil.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[timo]

43. jeez

he cant deny the bloods on HIS hands NOW, no blaming bush for this screw up royale!!! fly bloody dove fly fly away!!!

[roody]

46. 3 wars instead of 2.

[faz]

55. Sooner there will be 4, 5, 6 wars

Who would have thought when we voted for Obama?

We are duped!

[24601]

53. No problem, he went to Congress for an AUMF didn't he? No, well

he probably at least thought of complying with the law. After all, he is a professor of Constitutional law.

Who would have thought in 2008 that in 2011, he'd be breaking the law more than Bush?

[Le Taz Hot]

56. We can't afford Head Start but we can ALWAYS

afford weapons that kill.

[wordpix]

57. yes and then our "leaders" pass the costs onto those Head Start kids who can't get jobs as adults

totally insane policies :puke:

They will end up working for Chinese shoe makers, earning $1/day

[sarcasmo]

58. World Police on the march.

[marasinghe]

65. marching is so 20th century. this is the video desk jockey era of death-dealing.

can't see red blood on a green-screen & risk throwing up a good mre any more.