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| Obama's Solution of Libyan Conflict |
WASHINGTON: The US military will use armed drones over Libya, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, calling them a “modest contribution” to international coalition efforts there.
Gates said the decision to use unmanned drones armed with missiles was made “because of the humanitarian situation” in Libya, where strongman Muammer Qadhafi’s forces are battling a Western-backed insurgency.
General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the unmanned aircraft will be useful because of “their ability to get down lower, therefore to be able to get better visibility on (targets), particularly targets now that have started to dig themselves into defensive positions.” Cartwright said the drones “are uniquely suited” for the mission in Libya for use on a 24-hour basis in urban areas, and to limit collateral damage.
Gates added: “They give you a capability that even the A10 (anti-tank aircraft) and AC130 (ground attack aircraft) couldn’t provide” in the conflict in the North African nation.
Armed drones are in heavy demand in places such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, and the announcement of their deployment to Libya seemed designed at least in part to send a message to the country’s leader, Moammar Gaddafi, that the United States remains invested in the conflict.
It also served as a demonstration of U.S. resolve to European allies, who have been pressing for greater involvement by the U.S. military in the weeks since it took on a supporting role in the mission.
Rebel forces in eastern Libya have failed to maintain advances from their Benghazi base and forward positions at the crossroads town of Ajdabiya. Their major prize in western Libya, Misurata, has come under relentless barrages from Libyan army artillery and rocket launchers, leading rebel leaders to plead for intervention by foreign ground troops.
The armed Predators’ first mission over Libya was cut short Thursday because of bad weather. The unmanned aircraft can stay over an area for upwards of 12 hours at a stretch, making them much better at distinguishing rebel troops from loyalist forces than faster-moving fighter jets, which also must stay at higher altitudes.
Predators carry relatively small Hellfire missiles that are much more effective than precision guided bombs at striking enemy troops in heavily populated urban areas.
Libyan officials condemned the use of the drones as a violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution that authorized intervention in Libya for the sole purpose of protecting civilians.
“On the contrary, they will kill more civilians, and this is very sad,” Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told reporters in Tripoli. “What they are doing is undemocratic, illegitimate, and I hope they will reverse their decision.”
Both Britain and France have clearly stated that a major focus of the air campaign is to destroy Gaddafi’s military and weaken his grip on power. By their yardstick — helping rebel forces topple Gaddafi — the bombing campaign has fallen short.
