Odyssey Dawn News and Opinion Roundup (Updated)
Via Armed Forces Press Service: Navy Vice Adm. Wlliam E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff, briefed reporters at the Pentagon on the launch of “Operation Odyssey Dawn.”
“The goals of these initial operations are essentially twofold: first, to prevent further attacks by regime forces on Libyan citizens and opposition groups, especially around Benghazi, and second, to degrade the regime’s capability to resist the no-fly zone we are implementing under that United Nations resolution,” Gortney said shortly after the attacks were launched.
Most of the targets were on or near the coast and around the Libyan capital of Tripoli, Gortney said. The coalition carefully picked the targets, he added, which either threatened coalition pilots or through use by the regime, posed a direct threat to the people of Libya.
For now, Gortney told reporters, Operation Odyssey Dawn is under the command of Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III is the commander of Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn aboard the command ship USS Mount Whitney. Locklear commands U.S. Naval Forces in Europe and Africa, as well as NATO Allied Joint Forces Command.
Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff, briefs reporters at the Pentagon on the launch of Operation Odyssey Dawn.
Operation Odyssey Dawn – VADM Gortney’s briefing slides
Coalition Order of Battle – Associated Press
Remarks by the President on Libya – White House transcript
Coalition Launches ‘Operation Odyssey Dawn’ – Armed Forces Press Service
Operation Takes Aim at Libyan Air Defenses – Armed Forces Press Service
West Pounds Libya with Missiles; Gadhafi Vows Retaliation – Voice of America
France Fires First Shots Against Libya – Washington Post
France Takes Reins on Libya, Sarkozy Triumphs – Los Angeles Times
French Plane Fires First Shot in Libya Intervention – Reuters
U.S. Missiles Strike Libyan Air Defense Targets – New York Times
Allied Forces Attack Libya – Wall Street Journal
Coalition Airstrikes Batter Libyan Targets – Toronto Star
U.S., Allies, Launch Air Attacks – Globe and Mail
U.S., Allies Strike Libyan Air Defenses – Los Angeles Times
‘Odyssey Dawn’ Starts: U.S. Fires Cruise Missiles – Washington Times
U.S. Leads ‘Odyssey Dawn’ Initial Attack – Christian Science Monitor
Military Strikes: 20 Targets, Claims of 48 Dead – Sydney Morning Herald
West Launches Air Strikes on Libya – The Australian
U.S., U.K. Tomahawks ‘First Phase’ to Open Airspace – Bloomberg
U.S. Pounds Libyan Air Defenses, Assesses Damage – Associated Press
Coalition Begins Attacks on Air Defense Systems – Stars and Stripes
Coalition Launches Libya Attacks – BBC News
International Forces Bombard Targets in Libya – Al Jazeera
U.S. Fires More than 100 Missiles in Attacks – New York Post
Allies Launch Libya Force as Gadhafi Hits Rebels – Associated Press
West Pounds Libya, Kadhafi Vows Retaliation – Agence France-Presse
Libya: British Forces Attack Gaddafi – Daily Telegraph
Cameron: British Forces in Action Over Libya – Reuters
MoD: U.K. Forces Hit ‘Tripoli Air Defence’ – Sky News
U.S. Says Five-Nation Coalition Launched Libya Strikes – Reuters
U.S. Says Missile Strikes on Libya Only ‘First Phase’ – Reuters
Europe Pressure, Arab Support Helped Turn U.S. – Wall Street Journal
As War Widens, Obama Stays in Background – Los Angeles Times
Obama, Clinton Stress U.S. Supporting Role in Libya – Reuters
U.S. Actions May Speak Louder than Words – Washington Post
Mullen: No-fly Zone Effectively in Place in Libya – CNN News
Why is U.S. Backing Force in Libya, Not Bahrain, Yemen? – BBC News
Military Buildup for Libya Mounts at Italian Bases – Associated Press
Gadhafi: U.N. Resolution on Libya ‘Invalid’ – Voice of America
Qaddafi Defiant in the Face of Allied Strikes – Christian Science Monitor
Gadhafi Promises ‘Long War’ after Allies Strike Libya – USA Today
Gaddafi Says Libyans will Defeat Western Forces – Reuters
Sarkozy Announces Action Against Kadafi – Los Angeles Times
Benghazi Hit by Artillery, Rocket Fire – Washington Post
In a Field of Flowers, the Wreckage of War – New York Times
Allied Planes Fly Over Libya as Gaddafi Hits Benghazi – Reuters
Gadhafi’s Forces Attack Rebels in Benghazi – Washington Times
Benghazi Fights for its Life as Gaddafi Attacks – Daily Telegraph
Rebels Say Repulse Gaddafi Attack on Benghazi – Reuters
Qaddafi Pledges ‘Long War’ – New York Times
At Qaddafi Compound, a Human Shield – New York Times
Moammar Kadafi’s Thinning Human Shield – Los Angeles Times
Mullen Says Gadhafi Could Cling to Power – Associated Press
ICRC Calls on All Sides in Libya to Spare Civilians – Reuters
Gates Delays Russia Trip to Monitor Libyan Crisis – Associated Press
Clinton: Fears of Libyan ‘Unspeakable Atrocities’ – Associated Press
Libya U.N. Resolution 1973: Text Analysed – BBC News
Libya Assault: U.N.’s Calculated Gamble – BBC News
Map: Tracking Events in Libya – Washington Post
Map: How the Rebellion Is Unfolding in Libya – New York Times
Libya Uprising in Maps – BBC News
A Primer on No-Fly Zones – Detroit Free Press
The Libya Tightrope – Los Angeles Times editorial
No-Fly Zone in Libya. Will it Work? – The Economist editorial
What is the Strategic Objective? – Investor’s Business Daily editorial
Qaddafi Must Go – Weekly Standard opinion
Obama’s Shift Toward Military Action in Libya – Washington Post opinion
Behind Obama’s Turnaround on Libya – Foreign Policy opinion
What’s Our Plan in Libya? – New York Post opinion
Confronting Gadhafi Is Not Enough – Wall Street Journal opinion
War with Libya? What the U.N. Resolution Means – Time opinion
The Best Military Option for Libya – The Daily Beast opinion
On Libya, Suspicious Minds – New York Times opinion
Return of the Global Policeman – Globe and Mail opinion
