U.S. eye more firepower to hit pro-Qaddafi forces

As the military eyes other tools in its arsenal, the White House announced late Friday that President Barack Obama will give a speech to Americans on Monday evening explaining his decision-making on Libya to a public weary after a decade of war.

March 26, 2011 05:09 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 03:57 am IST - Washington

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy a Qatar Emiri Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet takes off on Friday from Souda Bay, Greece. Photo: AP,

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy a Qatar Emiri Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet takes off on Friday from Souda Bay, Greece. Photo: AP,

Battered by a week of allied air strikes, forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi still remain a potent threat to civilians, according to Pentagon officials, who are considering more firepower and airborne surveillance systems to find and attack the enemy troops.

As the military eyes other tools in its arsenal, the White House announced late Friday that President Barack Obama will give a speech to Americans on Monday evening explaining his decision—making on Libya to a public weary after a decade of war.

The timing comes as Republicans and Democrats have complained that the president has not sought their input about the U.S. role in the war or explained with enough clarity about the U.S. goals and exit strategy.

Among the weapons being eyed for use in Libya is the Air Force’s AC—130 gunship, an imposing aircraft armed with cannons that shoot from the side doors with precision.

Other possibilities are helicopters and drones that fly lower and slower and can spot more than fast—moving jet fighters.

With the U.S. pressing to shift full command of the Libya air campaign to the NATO alliance, the discussion of adding weapons to step up the assault on Col. Qaddafi’s ground troops reflects the challenges the coalition faces in hitting the right targets.

U.S.—led forces began launching missile strikes last Saturday against the defences of embattled Libyan strongman Qaddafi to establish a no—fly zone and prevent him from attacking his own people.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.