[News] UN Security Council Approves Lybia No-Fly-Zone

[EAS_Intrepid]

Finally...

The UN Security Council has backed a no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians short of an occupation.

It was not immediately clear what form intervention would take and when it would begin, though France signalled that action could start soon.

The resolution appears to give legal weight to attacks against Col Muammar Gaddafi's ground forces.

Col Gaddafi's forces have recently retaken several towns seized by rebels.

Rebel forces reacted with joy to the UN resolution in their Benghazi stronghold, but a government spokesman condemned UN "aggression".

Loyalist forces are bearing down on Benghazi, home to a million people.

BBC News - Libya: UN backs action against Colonel Gaddafi

I guess it won't take long until US, UK and French planes can be seen in Lybian skies.

Good look and good hunting to the pilots and aircrews and hopefully this will help the Lybian people in overthrowing Col. Gaddafi.

UN Security Council Resolution 1937 also says, that no ground forces are to be used (aside from CSAR, I guess).

 

[Terra_Inc]

About time. With the hesitation of some European countries, you'd think they wanted the old dictator back.
Hopefully we'll see him defeated in a short time.

 

[Majestic]

Could someone explain this? I don't know what this is about.

Us folks from down south only hear of our floods, or NZ's Earthquakes or Japan's Earthquake of late. We've been rather busy with our own disasters and those of our neighbours to hear little else of the events from up North in Europe.

 

[EAS_Intrepid]

Lybia is the third North African country in which the population rose to overthrow long-serving dictatorships this year. First was Tunisia, followed by Egypt and now Lybia.

Unlike in Tunisia and Egypt (where the national Army sided with the protestors against the people in power), the government of Lybia quickly used its well-disciplined ground and air force to attack the nation's population, starting a civil war.
In the last week the "rebels" that want to overthrow Lybia's dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi had to take major casualties and military defeats, mostly because of a missing air-defence element in their force.

Meanwhile the Lybian loyal forces started to target civilians. Gaddafi himself already said that in case of his victory the population would be punished harshly.

That's why the United States, the United Kingdom and France pushed for the establishment of a "no-fly-zone" over Lybia. It would be controlled by Allied forces, the Lybian Air Force would be interdicted and thus would have to stop bombing civilians and Rebel forces.

Lybia, Tunisia and Egypt are on the southern shore of the Mediteranian Sea. North of that tiny ocean is Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Greece). Not far away: Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq.
The region kind of belongs to the Middle East and is a powder keg.

EDIT:
Great Britain's Premier Mr. Cameron revealed, that the Royal Air Force will send Tornado and Eurofighter aircraft and that they are to arrive in a few hours.
This will also be the first combat assignment for the British-Spanish-Italia-German Eurofighter.

 

[SciFiFan]

Apparently they got the message.

TRIPOLI, Libya – Libya declared an immediate cease-fire and promised to stop military operations Friday in a bid to fend off international military intervention after the U.N. authorized a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to prevent the regime from striking its own people.

Libya offers cease-fire after UN no-fly zone vote - Yahoo! News

 

[K_merse]

...and minutes after the cease-fire, Quaddafi's artilleries started to bombard Misurata.
They said it by the way that they won't fire on "civilians". They did not say anything about rebels...

 

[SciFiFan]

...and minutes after the cease-fire, Quaddafi's artilleries started to bombard Misurata.
They said it by the way that they won't fire on "civilians". They did not say anything about rebels...

I think that is the point. The UN wants to protect the civilians. If you raise arms you are a combatant, not civilian. The UN cannot officially back the rebels.

 

[Majestic]

Thanks Intrepid for informing us less informed folks.

 

[SciFiFan]

So much for the cease fire.

BENGHAZI, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi took advantage of international indecision to attack the heart of the 5-week-old uprising on Saturday, sending troops, tanks and warplanes to swarm the first city seized by the rebels. Crashing shells shook buildings, and the sounds of battle drew closer to Benghazi's center.

Source - Gadhafi strikes rebels as diplomats mull action - Yahoo! News

The UN should no longer delay in its actions.

 

[Zelph]

And so it begins...France just fired the first shots from the UN side, destroyed a military vehicle. This is going to get interesting.

 

[EAS_Intrepid]

This is going to get interesting.

Definately.
It was just a matter of time that allied aircraft entered Lybian skies since a Mig-27 of the loyalist Air Force has been shot down during a bombing run this morning.

 

[Zelph]

Definately.
It was just a matter of time that allied aircraft entered Lybian skies since a Mig-27 of the loyalist Air Force has been shot down during a bombing run this morning.

Aye indeed. And I guess the U.S. just joined in with a missile attack on Libyan Air Forces.

 

[SciFiFan]

Yup, US and UK ships and subs launched cruise missiles aimed at 20 different targets.