Libya attack: U.S. attacks targets in Libya At War Again.

Image via WikipediaHere we go again. Back at War yet again. See the link for the full article.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/sc-dc-0320-us-military-libya-20110319,0,7579064.story

Reporting from Washington—

U.S. warships launched airstrikes at targets along
Libya's
coast on Saturday in an opening attack to degrade
Moammar Kadafi
's air defense systems and allow international allies to establish a no-fly zone aimed at protecting civilians.

The U.S. and
Britain
launched more than 110 Tomahawk missiles at more than 20 targets. The strikes targeted specifically surface-to-air missile sites and radar detectors that are part of the Libyan military's air defense infrastructure, said Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

The U.S. had identified sites along the coast of Libya, including around the capital of Tripoli and the city of Misratah, the Pentagon confirmed.

While President Obama has emphasized that American forces would play a subordinate role in enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya, the Pentagon said the U.S. had to lead the operation in its early days because it has the greatest capability to destroy Kadafi's air defenses, a key prerequisite to taking control of Libya's airspace.

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Libyan official: Attacks resulted in 'tremendous casualties'

Libyan officials called Saturday's coalition missile strikes "barbaric aggression" that directly contradicted a previously announced cease-fire by the African country's government. NBC's Richard Engel reports. Full story
Official: 'Just first phase of coalition

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Report: Russia signs arms deal with Syria

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clipped from www.haaretz.com Russia has signed deals with Syria under which it will sell it warplanes, anti-tank weapons and air defense systems, Itar-Tass news agency quoted a senior Russian arms trader as saying on Friday. Mikhail Dmitriyev, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said Russia would supply Syria with MiG-29 fighters and truck-mounted Pantsir short-range surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery systems. He did not specify the kind of anti-tank weapons. The arms deal is likely to be watched with unease by the United States which imposed sanctions on Damascus for its support of militant groups and corruption. Israel's Foreign Ministry said it was "deeply disappointed" that Medvedev met the leader of Hamas, which it said was "a terror organization in every way".

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Iran Launches Production Lines for Unmanned Planes

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clipped from newsmax.com Iran has launched two production lines to build unmanned aircraft with surveillance and attack capabilities, the defense minister announced Monday. It also announced that Iran would soon deploy a missile air defense system more powerful than the advanced Russian S-300 system Tehran has ordered from Moscow in 2007 but has yet to receive. The state television quoted Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as saying the unmanned aircraft would be able to carry out surveillance as well as offensive tasks with high precision and a long range. Iran announced two years ago it had built an unmanned aircraft, but details were only revealed last year when Vahidi said it has a range of more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers), long enough to reach Israel. It was not clear whether Ra'd or Nazir has such a range.

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