Israel: Libyan Rebels pleads for outside military intervention answered

Haaretz

U.S. fighter jets join international strike, hit Gadhafi ground forces
Rebel forces galvanized by foreign forces aid, as smoldering Gadhafi tanks, army vehicles line the road leading to a major east-Libya rebel stronghold.
By Reuters

U.S. fighter planes backed by electronic warfare aircraft carried out air strikes early on Sunday on Muammar Gadhafi's ground troops and air defenses in Libya, the Pentagon said in a statement.

"U.S. Navy Growlers provided electronic warfare support over Libya while AV-8B Harriers from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted strikes against [Gadhafi's] ground forces and air defenses," the military said in a statement.

U.S. and British missile strikes hit 20 of 22 targets, the U.S. military said.

The missile strikes on Saturday caused 'various levels of damage' at 20 of 22 sites, centered around Libyan air defenses, said Lieutenant Commander James Stockman, a spokesman at U.S. Africa Command. Possible damage at two other sites was being
assessed, he said.

Stockman also confirmed that three U.S. stealth bombers took part in airstrikes on Libya early on Sunday.


Also on Sunday, Gadhafi's wrecked tanks and other army vehicles smoldered on a strategic road in east Libya after Western powers launched air strikes that galvanized embattled rebels.

Rebels who had been driven back to their stronghold of Benghazi by the Libyan leader's air, sea and land offensive in the past two weeks were returning in 4x4 pick-ups to the town of Ajdabiyah, the hard fought over gateway to the east.

The road the rebels drove was a scene of devastation. This correspondent counted at least 14 corpses, though the scale of the bombardment made identifying bodies difficult.

"This is all France ... Today we came through and saw the road open," said rebel fighter Tahir Sassi, surveying one area where blackened vehicles lined the road and lamp posts were cut in two or bent over.

Other rebels claimed some of the credit from earlier fighting, though they had failed to the hold ground against the Gaddafi's far superior firepower.

About 14 tanks, 20 armored personnel carriers, two trucks with multiple rocket launchers and dozens of pick-ups -- all destroyed -- were visible, indicating the strength of the force sent to retake Benghazi from rebels.

One tank was a blackened wreck with its turret blown off. Another tank, a tank transporter and armored personnel carriers smoldered. A few hundred meters ahead, munitions were still exploding as flames licked around vehicles and stores.

Rebels had pleaded for military intervention as they were pushed back and as Gadhafi vowed "no mercy, no pity" as he advanced towards Benghazi where the interim rebel National Libyan Council has its headquarters.

France led the calls for intervention and its planes were the first into Libyan airspace to launch raids, before U.S. and British warships and submarines fired 112 Tomahawk missiles overnight against air defenses.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/u-s-fighter-jets-join-international-strike-hit-gadhafi-ground-forces-1.350552