Western Powers Strike Libya for Second Night

Western powers strike Libya for second night

Western powers launched a second wave of air strikes on Libya after halting the advance of Muammar Gaddafi's forces on Benghazi and targeting air defences.

The UN.-mandated intervention to protect civilians caught up in a one-month-old revolt against Gaddafi drew criticism from Arab League Chief Ambassador Moussa, who questioned the need for a heavy bombardment.

Campaign working

The U.S., 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.

Britain's Defence Ministry said one of its submarines had again fired Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of a second wave of attacks to enforce the UN resolution.

"We and our international partners are continuing operations in support of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973," a ministry spokesman said.

Intervention

The intervention is the biggest against an Arab country since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Withdrawal of Arab support would make it much harder to pursue what some defence analysts say could in any case be a difficult, open-ended campaign with an uncertain outcome.

Asked about Moussa's comments, Michele Flournoy, Under Secretary at the U.S. Department for Defence, said: "I think that may be the people do not understand the military dimensions of what was required to establish the no-fly zone but I can tell you that we continue to have messages of support, statements of support from a number of Arab countries."

Civilian Casualties

French government spokesman Francois Baroin said: "There is no information about killed civilians that the French command is aware of."

Italy said it had warplanes in the air, after U.S. and British warships and submarines launched 110 Tomahawk missiles on Saturday and Sunday.

Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, Director of the U.S. military's Joint Staff, told newsmen 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 the threat, said Gortney, but Gaddafi's forces in the area were in distress and "suffering from isolation and confusion" after the air assaults.

Late on Sunday, Libyan officials took Western newsmen to Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli; to see what they said was the site of a missile attack two hours earlier.

"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."

A Libyan military spokesman announced a new ceasefire, saying that "the Libyan armed forces have issued a command to all military units to safeguard an immediate ceasefire from 9 p.m."

Both before and after he spoke, heavy anti-aircraft gunfire boomed above central Tripoli.

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.

REUTERS/NAN/Margaret/Ekata