Qatar to
join foreign air raids on Libya
Monday March 21, 2011 08:57:17 AM,
IANS
|
Paris:
Qatar has decided to participate in the military offensive by
international forces against Libya, a French defence ministry
spokesman said.
Speaking at a press conference Sunday, Laurent Teissiere described
Qatar's decision to deploy four warplanes as a "crucial point",
saying that "this illustrated Arabic participation into this
operation", Xinhua reported.
A coalition of American, British and French forces bombed by air
and from the sea key targets in Libya in aid of rebels holding
Benghazi, the country's second largest city.
French jets launched the attack -- named Operation Odyssey Dawn --
Saturday, hitting government tanks and armoured vehicles on the
road to Benghazi.
The French were joined by US and British ships which fired more
than 100 Tomahawk cruise missiles at installations and key assets.
Over 15 French planes joined in air strikes over Libya Sunday,
including air-to-air and air-to-ground actions, said Thierry
Burkhard, spokesman of French general staff sitting next to
Teissiere at the conference.
They said there was no threat to civilian population and called
Saturday's operation "effective".
However, at least 64 people were reported to have been killed and
150 others wounded following the joint operation.
Libya has been rocked by anti-government protests since Feb 14.
Protesters are demanding the ouster of Gaddafi, who has ruled the
country for about 42 years. According to one estimate, over 6,000
people have died in the clashes.
The airstrikes and casualties led to chorus of protests from
Russia, China and India, with Moscow demanding an immediate
dailogue to end the "bloodshed".
The coordinated air raids on Libya have also drawn criticism from
the Arab League, Xinhua said.
"What has happened in Libya differs from the goal of imposing a
no-fly zone and what we want is the protection of civilians and
not bombing other civilians," Chief of Arab League Amr Moussa said
Sunday.
Meanwhile, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen
said that a UN-backed no-fly zone in Libya is "effectively in
place".
Air attacks by coalition forces have taken out most of Libya's air
defence systems and some airfields, Mullen said in interview on
CNN's "State of the Union" programme.
"I would say the no-fly zone is effectively in place," Mullen told
CNN.
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