US CONGRESSMEN: LIBYA ATTACK ILLEGAL

US Congressmen: Libya attack illegal
Wed Mar 30, 2011
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/172328.html

On Tuesday, Representatives Timothy Johnson of Illinois and Justin Amash of Michigan introduced the draft legislation that aims to suspend all fundings to measures involving US President Barack Obama's decision to intervene in Libya, Xinhua reported.

"Constitutionally, it is indisputable that Congress must be consulted prior to an act of war unless there is an imminent threat against this country. The President has not done so," said Rep. Johnson.

"The President cannot constitutionally order an offensive military operation without Congress's authorization. The argument is not about 'consultation' with Congress. It's more fundamental than that. It's about whether the president by himself can order an attack on another country when that country has not attacked or is not about to attack the U.S. The Constitution plainly forbids such action,” Amash said.

The Pentagon has said that the Libyan intervention has cost US taxpayers nearly 550 million dollars so far. These costs are expected to remain at 40 million dollars per month from now on.

Obama has also declared that he is considering plans to supply arms to Libyan opposition forces in their fight against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has claimed that the UN sanctions prohibiting the delivery of arms to Libya do not apply to the anti-government forces.

Experts say the main motive behind the Western attack on Libya is the vast oil reserves of the North African country.

SZH/PKH/MB

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US INTENSIFIES AERIAL ATTACKS ON LIBYA
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/172297.html

More than one hundred warplanes belonging to the US military have bombarded strategically-important Libyan cities over the past 24 hours, the Pentagon says.


At least 115 strike sorties were carried out over areas controlled by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces in the previous 24 hours, Reuters reported.

The US army also fired at least 22 Tomahawk cruise at the key Libyan towns, it added.

The British sources say two of its Tornado fighter-bombers have attacked military positions outside the besieged western town of Misratah.

The US-led military alliance claims the strikes were carried out to protect civilians and preserve Western moral values.

The Libyan government, on the other hand, says US-led airstrikes have hit residential areas and over one hundred civilians have been killed in Western airstrikes on the country.

Meanwhile, fierce battles continue between forces loyal to long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi and the revolutionaries.

Latest reports from the battlefield indicate that Gaddafi forces have retaken the strategic oil town of Ras Lanuf.

They had earlier taken over Ben Jawad---another strategic town west of the capital Tripoli.

Fighting is also ongoing over the city of Misratah between the two sides.

Revolutionaries have made rapid progress in recent days but pro-Gaddafi forces are now pushing them back.

The anti-government forces had made quick progress westwards from their stronghold in Benghazi, seizing a number of key towns, including the oil-rich town of Brega.

This is while Russia has expressed its opposition to plans by Western countries to arm the forces fighting against the Gaddafi regime.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has insisted that foreign countries have no right to supply the anti-government forces with arms under the mandate approved by the UN Security Council.

"Right away, NATO Secretary-General (Anders) Fogh Rasmussen said the Libyan operation is being conducted to protect the population, not to arm it. We fully agree with the NATO secretary-general on this," Lavrov said in Moscow on Wednesday.

This comes after French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said France and its partners were prepared to discuss arming the Libyan fighters.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has said that he does not rule out arming the anti-Gaddafi fighters.

Moreover, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stated that the UN sanctions prohibiting the delivery of arms to Libya do not apply to the anti-government forces.

China, Russia, Arab League and the African union have condemned Western air strikes.

Experts say the main motive behind the Western attack on Libya is the vast oil reserves of the North African country. JR/HGH/MB


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US-LED AIRSTRIKES HIT LIBYA CIVILIANS
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/172105.html

Tue Mar 29, 2011

Western airstrikes have hit civilian areas in the Libyan towns of Garyan and Mizdah, leaving scores of men and women wounded in the cities, reports say.

"Civilian and military areas in Garyan and Mizdah were hit on Monday night by the colonial and crusader aggressors," Libyan television said in a written news flash.
Western coalition forces have been bombarding strategic cities across the war-hit country to push government forces back.

But Western offensive is coming under intense scrutiny by critics worried about civilian lives in the North African country.

The United States denies civilian casualties in the military operation so far.
SB/GHN/HRF


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US OPERATIONS IN LIBYA COST $550mn
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/172217.html
Wed Mar 30, 2011

The US military expenditures for ongoing airstrikes in Libya have topped $550 million amid warnings that a protracted conflict could emerge in the country, the Pentagon says.


According to the US Defense Department, 60 percent of the funds were spent on munitions, mostly Raytheon Tomahawk missiles and bombs, with the rest going toward deploying troops and covering the costs of combat, including additional fuel needed for US aircraft and ships, AFP reported on Tuesday.

Between March 19 and March 28, the US military also fired at least 192 of the 199 Tomahawk cruise missiles, which cost $1.5 million apiece.

As the US-led military operations in Libya entered its eleventh consecutive day, the Pentagon's latest figures indicate that the cost of the war may total $800 million by the end of September if the US continues operations.

Meanwhile, US Navy Commander Kathleen Kesler, a Pentagon spokeswoman stated on Tuesday that the Pentagon would spend another $40 million over the next three weeks as the 28-member NATO takes the helm of all military operations in Libya on Thursday.

"After that, if US forces stay at the levels currently planned and the operations continues, we would incur added costs of about $40 million per month," she added.

According to US military officials, more than 350 aircraft are participating in the US-led campaign of military airstrikes against Libya “to protect civilians” from attacks by forces loyal to ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

Apart from the US, twelve EU countries are taking part in Operation Odyssey Dawn, which began on March 19.

Experts at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments say the Western countries participating in the military operations in Libya would have to pay $30 million to $100 million per week.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that a coalition of countries conducting airstrikes against Gaddafi's forces launched 22 Tomahawk missiles and flew 115 strike sorties in the last 24 hours.

The Libyan regime says that at least 114 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and 445 others injured in the campaign of US-led military airstrikes in Libya since March 20.

A new opinion poll by the Pew Research Center published on Monday shows that just under half of Americans -- 47 percent -- thinks it was the right decision to conduct military airstrikes in Libya. Another 36 percent say it was the wrong decision and 17 percent are unsure.
HA/AGB