French military jets over Libya

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12795971

19 March 2011 Last updated at 16:43 GMT
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French military jets are preventing forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi from attacking the rebel-held city of Benghazi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy says.

It is believed to be the first act of intervention since the UN voted on Thursday for a no-fly zone over Libya.

Western and Arab leaders have been meeting in Paris to agree a course of action to confront Col Gaddafi.

"Our air force will oppose any aggression," Mr Sarkozy said.

Hours earlier, pro-Gaddafi forces launched an assault on the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi, a BBC journalist witnessed.

However, the Libyan government has denied it is attacking.

'Stop the bombardment'
Continue reading the main story
Analysis

Caroline Wyatt

Defence correspondent
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French reconnaissance jets are clearly scoping out targets in Libya. I would assume there have been special forces on the ground as well, assessing potential targets.

The planning parts of enforcing this UN resolution have been very complex - we may be talking about 100 planes involved - so once you begin enforcing that no-fly zone, you need to think about enforcing it 24 hours a day to ensure no Libyan jets get up in the air, dividing up the tasks and the bases that are going to be used.

British jets will be performing a range of tasks, with RAF Tornadoes aiming at targets on the ground, Typhoons performing air-to-air sorties, and Awacs planes and Sentinel R1s helping with mapping the ground and reconnaissance.

The supposition is that an awful lot of the operation will be based in southern Italy and the Mediterranean.
French aircraft have also flown over "all Libyan territory" on reconnaissance missions, French military sources said earlier.

The French Rafale jets took off from their base at Saint-Dizier in eastern France, a source told the Agence France-Presse news agency.

The planes encountered no problems during the first few hours of their mission, the source said, and the flights would continue for the next several hours.

The US would use its "unique capabilities" to reinforce the no-fly zone, said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, warning that further delays would put more civilians at risk. However, Mrs Clinton said again that the US would not deploy ground troops in Libya.

A naval blockade is also being put in place, said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

In other developments:

Italy has offered the use of seven of its military bases which already house US, Nato and Italian forces
Canada says its fighter jets have now reached the region but will need two days to prepare for any missions
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said he believes British, French and Canadian aircraft will launch the first airstrikes, which could come within hours
The new UN resolution authorises "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians.

The international community was intervening to stop the "murderous madness" of Col Gaddafi, Mr Sarkozy said.

"In Libya, the civilian population, which is demanding nothing more than the right to choose their own destiny, is in mortal danger," he warned. "It is our duty to respond to their anguished appeal."

The rebels' leader had earlier appealed to the international community to stop the bombardment by pro-Gaddafi forces.

A jet also appears to have been shot down over Benghazi. A rebel spokesman was quoted as saying the downed jet was a rebel plane which had been shot down by pro-government forces.

AdvertisementIan Pannell in Benghazi: "The fighter jet... span out of control and plummeted to the ground"
Reports from Benghazi suggest hundreds of cars packed with people were fleeing eastwards as fighting spread.

The United Nations refugee agency says it is preparing to receive 200,000 people fleeing the fighting, amid reports of hundreds of cars full of people heading for the Egyptian border, while others are attempting to flee on foot.

The first families had arrived at the Egyptian border, extremely frightened and traumatised, saying some of their homes have been completely flattened said UNHCR spokeswoman Elizabeth Tan.

However, the BBC's Ben Brown, who is at the border, says so far there are a handful of families, in addition to the migrant workers who have been there since the crisis started.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the world must "speak with one voice" on Libya.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Fighter jet shot down, appears to be one of Gaddafi's. Was it shot down by anti-aircraft guns or a French fighter!

(Conflicting news, also claims that it was a Rebel fighter)

[Peter Solan the Great]

Any sign of Gerry Adams releasing a statement of the current military activity in Libya. Sinn Fein/IRA are good friends with Col. Gaddafi but it is all quite from them. Are they on the ground already? or has their MI5 handlers curtailed them?

[no mo do yakamo]

Didnt the brits cosy up to him too lately?

[mannix]

What a crazy world. Hard to process all the stuff going on and the we have mayo facing the dubs as well.

[Peter Solan the Great]

What a crazy world. Hard to process all the stuff going on and the we have mayo facing the dubs as well.

Mayo people cant talk about Military intervention. You were cowards in the war of Independence and when the French came it wasn't called the races of Castlebar for no reason. Run and hide is the correct term.

[mannix]

Mayo certainly has your number Peter. Share with us what happened to you at the hands of mayo.

[Peter Solan the Great]

Mayo certainly has your number Peter. Share with us what happened to you at the hands of mayo.

I have nothing at all against Mayo. I just wont stand for hypocrisy is all.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

What a crazy world. Hard to process all the stuff going on and the we have mayo facing the dubs as well.

Mayo people cant talk about Military intervention. You were cowards in the war of Independence and when the French came it wasn't called the races of Castlebar for no reason. Run and hide is the correct term.

Just for future reference, when you forget where you are from yet again & lecture others on hypocrisy.

[mannix]

Hypocrites? Well whatever, but I think you have issues of some sort with mayo.I leave the last word with yourself Peter.

[Peter Solan the Great]

Hypocrites? Well whatever, but I think you have issues of some sort with mayo.I leave the last word with yourself Peter.

I have absolutely nothing against Mayo at all. Its just when I see them on about Military intervention etc and this kind of stuff I think it is correct to point out that they did nothing for Irish freedom and dont have the right to lecture others. Its nothing personal whatsoever.

[Eamonnca1]

Any sign of Gerry Adams releasing a statement of the current military activity in Libya. Sinn Fein/IRA are good friends with Col. Gaddafi but it is all quite from them. Are they on the ground already? or has their MI5 handlers curtailed them?

Never mind the geopolitical earthquake that's bringing a wave of democracy to the Arab world. Never mind the dictators dropping like flies. Never mind the biggest power-shift in this world since the fall of the Iron Curtain. It's all about the IRA, isn't it? Got to get the little digs in at every opportunity.

I think you'll find it was the British government that was cosying up to Gaddafi in recent years.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Hypocrites? Well whatever, but I think you have issues of some sort with mayo.I leave the last word with yourself Peter.

I have absolutely nothing against Mayo at all. Its just when I see them on about Military intervention etc and this kind of stuff I think it is correct to point out that they did nothing for Irish freedom and dont have the right to lecture others. Its nothing personal whatsoever.

Hypocrite much, you actively take pleasure in 6 counties of Ireland being part of a foreign Union.

[Peter Solan the Great]

Hypocrites? Well whatever, but I think you have issues of some sort with mayo.I leave the last word with yourself Peter.

I have absolutely nothing against Mayo at all. Its just when I see them on about Military intervention etc and this kind of stuff I think it is correct to point out that they did nothing for Irish freedom and dont have the right to lecture others. Its nothing personal whatsoever.

Hypocrite much, you actively take pleasure in 6 counties of Ireland being part of a foreign Union.

Yes and I'm from Mayo. Point proved. Sure your taking the queens shilling now arent you?

[Bogball XV]

Hypocrites? Well whatever, but I think you have issues of some sort with mayo.I leave the last word with yourself Peter.

I have absolutely nothing against Mayo at all. Its just when I see them on about Military intervention etc and this kind of stuff I think it is correct to point out that they did nothing for Irish freedom and dont have the right to lecture others. Its nothing personal whatsoever.

Hypocrite much, you actively take pleasure in 6 counties of Ireland being part of a foreign Union.

Yes and I'm from Mayo. Point proved. Sure your taking the queens shilling now arent you?

you, on the other hand are struggling with her english.