Obama Flips Again: Qaddafi Can Stay. Next Flip Expected in 24 Hours !!!

Obama on 3/21/11. Can anybody out there, please tell us; what is the Policy/Mission? Why are our Troops being put under a Foreign Command and What in the Hell, is this Phuk Doing..??

But, that was yesterday.
Today Barack Obama told reporters that Gaddafi can stay.
Politico 44 reported:

President Obama indicated on Tuesday that Muammar Qadhafi may still have an opportunity to “change his approach” and put in place “significant reforms” in the Libyan government.

Asked by NBC’s Savannah Guthrie what the U.S. commitment is in Libya if Qadhafi remains in power but continues to pose a threat to his people, Obama appeared to leave the door open for political reforms.

“You are absolutely right that as long as Qadhafi remains in power, and unless he changes his approach and there are significant reforms in the Libyan government that allow the Libyan people to express themselves, there are still going be potential threats against Libyan people—unless he is going to step down,” Obama said.

His quick shift back to what he had earlier stated—that Qadhafi must step down—is more in line with the conclusion that he and his administration officials had come to weeks ago. But a return to the call for “political reforms” is reminiscent of the White House position on Egypt during its upheaval.

It’s settled then. Gaddafi can stay… Until tomorrow’s press conference.

h/t: http://iowntheworld.com/blog/?p=67493

Official: British Subs Fired Missiles at Qaddafi's Tripoli Compound

AP March 21: Libyan soldiers survey the damage to an administrative building hit by a missile late Sunday in the heart of Muammar al-Qaddafi's Bab Al Azizia compound in Tripoli.

British submarines fired two missiles at Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi’s compound in downtown Tripoli Sunday, a senior coalition official confirmed to Fox News, as part of a weekend of punishing attacks aimed at protecting the Libyan people.

The British Ministry of Defense confirmed that Qaddafi was not the target, but that the compound was hit because of its military significance. A Pentagon official had previously said Sunday that the coalition “will not be going after Qaddafi.”

The 4-story compound in downtown Tripoli was home to Qaddafi and was demolished by the attacks, though it hadn’t been confirmed when the strike occurred, Fox News’ Steve Harrigan reported.

Two circular holes in the roof, which are consistent with a missile strike, were visible and rubble littered the street. There were no known injuries, and it remains unclear where the leader has been living since the U.N.-sanctioned no-fly zone was ordered.

Pentagon officials said the weekend of strikes had scattered and isolated Qaddafi’s forces, and American military authorities are moving to hand control of the operation to other countries

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. expects to turn control of the mission over to a coalition -- probably headed either by the French and British or by NATO -- "in a matter of days."

Navy Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff, said the coalition had control of the air space between Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya's capital and that the attacks had been successful.

"We judge these strikes to have been very effective in significantly degrading the regime's air defense capability," Gortney said. "We believe his forces are under significant stress and suffering from both isolation and a good deal of confusion."

Gortney said no allied planes have been lost and all pilots have returned safely from missions. There are no reports of civilian injury, but Gortney did not rule out the possibility of further attacks aimed at preventing Qaddafi from attacking civilians in Libya and enforcing a no-fly zone.

The attack on Qaddafi’s compound followed a day where the U.S. and allied forces claimed significant success in the early stages of enforcing the no-fly zone in Libya, said a military official at the Pentagon.

Military officials confirmed at a press conference Sunday that the U.S. fired 125 Tomahawk missiles onto strategic air defense systems across Libya.

The array of Tomahawk cruise missiles lit the night sky and were fired from a British submarine and a number of American destroyers and subs.

On Saturday, White House sounded optimistic about the action, which it called "a very good first day."

A total of 15 U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps aircraft engaged Libya, including three B-2 bombers.

The U.S.-led mission has a support cast of British and French fighters, as well as the backing of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Other countries will likely join the fray once the no-fly zone becomes more established. At that point, the U.S. will also likely give way to France or Britain to take the lead.

Planes also blasted a line of tanks that had been moving on the rebel capital Benghazi, in the opposition-held eastern half of the country, reported the Associated Press. On Sunday, at least seven demolished tanks smoldered in a field 12 miles south of Benghazi, many of them with their turrets and treads blown off, alongside charred armored personnel carriers, jeeps and SUVs of the kind used by Qaddafi fighters.

"I feel like in two days max we will destroy Qaddafi," Ezzeldin Helwani, 35, said. The rebel stood next to the smoldering wreckage of an armored personnel carrier, the air thick with smoke and the pungent smell of burning rubber. In a grisly sort of battle trophy, celebrating fighters hung a severed goat's head with a cigarette in its mouth from the turret of one of the gutted tanks.

Rebels occupy Benghazi while Qaddafi forces remain in Tripoli.

Pentagon officials Sunday were poring over satellite images to ascertain the damage of Saturday's military strikes.

Large explosions were heard in Tripoli, possibly a cruise missile targeting a command and control center, Fox News' Steve Harrigan reported. Anti-aircraft tracer fire from pro-Qaddafi forces was seen in the night sky after an explosion was heard 2 miles from the compound housing the Libyan strongman.

On Libyan state radio, Qaddafi called the raids “acts of terrorism,” adding that all of the country's people were now carrying weapons to defend the nation.

"We promise you a long war," he said in the address.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. and allied forces have effectively established a no-fly zone over Libya in an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

"We've had a pretty significant impact in this first 24 hours ... I would say the no-fly zone we were tasked to put in place is now in place," Mullen said.

His Highness El-Sayyid Idris Abdullah Al-Senussi, nephew of His Majesty King Idris of Libya and the son of His Highness El-Sayyid Abdallah Abed Al-Senussi, made a statement exclusively obtained by Fox supporting military action against Qaddafi.

"I strongly support the military actions taken by coalition forces against Muammar al-Qaddafi," Al Senussi said. "I wish to commend the French forces along with the other coalition nations participating in Operation Odyssey Dawn. I also wish to commend the Arab League for their historic resolution condemning Muammar al-Qaddafi and calling for a no-fly zone in Libya that lead to the U.N. adopting resolution 1973."

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin, The Associated Press and NewsCore contributed to this report.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/21/qaddafi-compound-hit-uk-missiles-coalition-says-leaders-forces-disarray/#ixzz1HEPESs1d.

Rebels Fight Qaddafi With Heavy Weapons, Diplomacy

March 9: Anti-Qaddafi rebels ride on a truck with a multiple rocket launcher, as flames rises from a fuel storage facility that was attacked during fighting with pro-fighters, in Sedra, eastern Libya.

RAS LANOUF, Libya -- Libya's opposition battled for military and diplomatic advantage against Muammar Qaddafi's regime on Thursday, winning official recognition from France and hitting government forces with heavy weapons on the road to the capital.

France became the first country to formally recognize the rebels' newly created Interim Governing Council, saying it planned to exchange ambassadors after President Nicolas Sarkozy met with two representatives of the group based in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

"It breaks the ice," said Mustafa Gheriani, an opposition spokesman. "We expect Italy to do it, and we expect England to do it."

Germany said it froze billions in assets of the Libyan Central Bank and other state-run agencies. The U.S., UK, Switzerland, Austria and other countries have also frozen Qaddafi's assets.

"The brutal suppression of the Libyan freedom movement can now no longer be financed from funds that are in German banks," Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/10/rebels-fight-qaddafi-heavy-weapons-diplomacy/#ixzz1GCYx9WDH

Anti-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi rebels, take shelter behind a wall to protect themselves from shelling during fighting against pro-Moammar Gadhafi fighters, in Sidr town, eastern Libya, on Thursday March 10, 2011. The president of the international Red Cross says doctors in Libya are seeing a dramatic rise in the number of casualties, mostly civilians. Jakob Kellenberger said Thursday that local doctors over the past few days saw "a sharp increase in the number of casualties arriving at hospitals in Ajdabiya and Misrata" where there has been heavy fighting and air strikes. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Libyan Warplanes Strike Rebels at Oil Port

March 7: Smoke raises following an air strike by Libyan warplanes near a checkpoint near to the anti-Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qaddafi rebels checkpoint in the oil town of Ras Lanouf, eastern Libya.Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi have launched an airstrike against a rebel position in a key oil port. There were no casualties in the Monday morning attack in Ras Lanouf.Libyan rebels say they are regrouping after forces loyal to Gadhafi pounded opposition fighters with helicopter gunships, artillery and rockets on Sunday to stop the rebels' rapid advance toward the capital. (AP)

RAS LANOUF, Libya -- Libyan warplanes launched multiple airstrikes Monday on opposition fighters regrouping at an oil port on the Mediterranean coast, the second day of a harsh government counteroffensive to thwart a rebel advance toward Muammar al-Qaddafi's stronghold in the capital Tripoli.

The counteroffensive has halted a rebel attempt that began last week to extend their control beyond the eastern half of the country, in opposition hands since after the revolt to oust Qaddafi began on Feb. 15. The rebels are struggling to maintain supply lines for weapons, ammunition and food, with many living off junk food, cookies and cans of tuna.

Rebels say they can take on Qaddafi's elite ground forces, but are outgunned if he uses his air power. Fighter Ali Suleiman pleaded for Western governments to impose a no-fly zone to protect them from more strikes while they waited for rocket launchers, tanks and other heavy weapons to arrive with reinforcements from their headquarters in the eastern city of Benghazi.

"We don't want a foreign military intervention, but we do want a no-fly zone. We are all waiting for one," he said.

The U.S. has moved military forces closer to its shores to back up its demand that Qaddafi step down. But enforcing a no-fly zone could take weeks to organize, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has noted that it must be preceded by a military operation to take out Libya's air defenses. British Foreign Minister William Hague said Sunday that a no-fly zone over Libya is still in an early stage of planning and ruled out the use of ground forces.

Libya appears to be sliding toward a civil war that could drag out for weeks, or even months, as rebels try to oust Qaddafi after 41 years. Resorting to heavy use of air attacks signaled the regime's concern that it needed to check the advance of the rebel force toward Sirte -- Qaddafi's hometown and a bastion of support for the longtime leader.

The rebels can take on "the rockets and the tanks, but not Qaddafi's air force," he said.

Anti-Gadhafi forces would get a massive morale boost if they can blast through Sirte, a major obstacle on the march toward Tripoli.

Libya's main population centers lie along the country's main east-west highway on the Mediterranean coast and the struggle for control of the country is being waged between the government and the rebels trying to push the front line westward toward the capital.

A force estimated at 500 to 1,000 fighters was pushing steadily down the highway toward Tripoli when it was driven out of the town of Bin Jawwad, 375 east of the capital, on Sunday by pro-Qaddafi forces using helicopter gunships, artillery and rockets. The fighting killed at least eight people and wounded 59, according to medical officials.

The rebels regrouped about 40 miles to the east in Ras Lanouf, where MiG fighters circled over rebel positions Monday before launching airstrikes behind their front lines in the morning and afternoon.

In and around Bin Jawwad, pro-regime forces were running patrols Monday and there were minor reports of skirmishes with rebels on the outskirts.

One strike hit a road near the town's only gas station, destroying at least three vehicles and wounding at least two people.

The opposition also holds two main battleground cities close to Tripoli, and the government appears to have solidified control Monday of one of them -- Zawiya. Just 30 miles outside Tripoli, Zawiya had been the city closest to the capital in opposition hands.

A Zawiya resident said government tanks and artillery opened fire on rebels around 9:00 am and the attack hadn't stopped when he left the city at 1:30 p.m. All entrances to the city were under government control and the rebels had been driven out of the city's central Martyr's Square and a nearby mosque by the heaviest attack in several days.

"The tanks are everywhere," he said. "The hospital is running out of supplies. There are injured everywhere who can't find a place to go."

Rebels also held much of Misrata, to the east of Tripoli about halfway to Sirte. But Valerie Amos, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said in a statement that the Benghazi Red Crescent reported that Misrata was under attack by government forces again Monday. There have been repeated government attempts to regain control of Misrata.

"Humanitarian organizations need urgent access now," she said. "People are injured and dying and need help immediately."

The uprising against Qaddafi is already longer and much bloodier than the relatively quick revolts that overthrew the longtime authoritarian leaders of neighboring Egypt and Tunisia.

Unusually heavy and sustained shooting that erupted before dawn in Tripoli on Sunday gave rise to rumors and reports that there had been an assassination attempt against Qaddafi by someone inside the fortress-like barracks where he lives.

But a government spokesman, Abdel-Majid al-Dursi, denied it on Monday, calling the claims "baseless rumors."

Hundreds if not thousands of people have died since Libya's uprising began, although tight restrictions on media make it near impossible to get an accurate tally. More than 200,000 people have fled the country, most of them foreign workers. The exodus is creating a humanitarian crisis across the border with Tunisia -- another North African country in turmoil after an uprising in January that ousted its longtime leader.

The turmoil is being felt more broadly still in the form of rising oil prices. Libya's oil production has been seriously crippled by the unrest.

The conflict in Libya took a turn late last week when government opponents, backed by mutinous army units and armed with weaponry seized from storehouses, went on the offensive. At the same time, pro-Qaddafi forces have conducted counteroffensives to try to retake the towns and oil ports the rebels have captured since they moved out of the rebel-held east.