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US fires wave of missiles at Libya in 'limited action'

The United States on Saturday unleashed a barrage of Tomahawk missiles against the Libyan regime's air defences but ruled out using ground troops in what President Barack Obama called a "limited military action."

After initially taking a cautious stance on armed intervention in Libya's civil war, Obama ordered the strikes citing the threat posed to civilians by Muammar Gaddafi's forces and a UN-mandated no-fly zone endorsed by Arab countries.

"We must be clear: actions have consequences, and the writ of the international community must be enforced," Obama told reporters while on an official visit to Brazil.

But with nearly 100,000 US troops fighting a protracted war in Afghanistan - and with Saturday's missile strikes coming eight years to the day after the United States launched its war in Iraq - Obama made clear that the Libya operation would not result in American boots on the ground.

"As I said yesterday, we will not - I repeat - we will not deploy any US troops on the ground," he said.

The US military said American warships and one British submarine fired at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya against Gaddafi's anti-aircraft missiles and radar.

Admiral William Gortney told reporters at the Pentagon that the cruise missiles "struck more than 20 integrated air defence systems and other air defence facilities ashore."

The first missile struck at 1900 GMT following air strikes carried out earlier by French warplanes, said Gortney, director of the US joint staff.

"It's a first phase of a multi-phase operation" to enforce the UN resolution and prevent the Libyan regime from using force "against its own people," he said.

The missile strikes came despite skepticism in the US military over the risks of intervention, with Defence Secretary Robert Gates repeatedly expressing caution even as he promised to provide Obama with a full menu of military options.

Gates, who postponed a planned trip to Russia on Saturday for at least 24 hours, had suggested that Washington ought to think twice before going to war in another country in the Middle East.

20:51 | |

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