Pressure mounts for no-fly zone in Libya
As Libyan militiamen encounter rough going against the better-armed forces of Muammar Qaddafi, the calls for attacking Qaddafi鈥檚 air force are growing in the United States.
On Sunday, three prominent US senators 鈥� John Kerry, John McCain, and Mitch McConnell 鈥� expressed support for a no-fly zone to prevent Libyan jets and helicopters from attacking civilians and the anti-Qaddafi rebel fighters.
Speaking on CBS鈥檚 鈥�Face the Nation,鈥� Sen. Kerry, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, ruled out the use of ground forces to topple the Libyan dictator.
But he suggested that 鈥渙ne could crater the airports and the runways and leave them incapable of using them for a period of time.鈥�
Speaking on ABC News' "This Week," Sen. McCain said, 鈥淲e can't risk allowing Qaddafi to massacre people from the air, both by helicopter and fixed-wing [aircraft]."
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told CBS鈥檚 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� that a no-fly zone is 鈥渨orth considering.鈥�
Also Sunday, former UN Ambassador Bill Richardson called for a no-fly zone in Libya.
"Next week is going to be crucial and the most important step is the development of an internationally recognized no-fly zone,鈥� he said on CNN鈥檚 "State of the Union."
The idea has gotten top-level push-back from the Obama administration in recent days.
Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee this past week, Defense Secretary Gates warned against 鈥渓oose talk鈥� on any US military intervention in the Libyan conflict, including imposition of a no-fly zone.
鈥淟et鈥檚 just call a spade a spade,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses. That鈥檚 the way you do a no-fly zone. And then you can fly planes around the country and not worry about our guys being shot down. But that鈥檚 the way it starts.鈥�
At a Pentagon press conference, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that a no-fly zone would be 鈥渁n extraordinarily complex operation to set up.鈥�
鈥淟ots of people throw around the phrase of 鈥榥o-fly zone,鈥� and they talk about it as though it鈥檚 just a game, a video game or something, and some people who throw that line out have no idea what they鈥檙e talking about,鈥� White House chief of staff William Daley said on NBC鈥檚 鈥�Meet the Press鈥� program Sunday. 鈥淭he president has said all options are on the table, but this has to be an international effort.鈥�
But McCain, the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, contends that "these air assets that Qaddafi has are not overwhelming,鈥� as he put it to "This Week" anchor 海角大神e Amanpour.
鈥淚 would like to point out their air assets are not large,鈥� said McCain, a former Vietnam POW who knows first-hand what it鈥檚 like to be shot down in air combat. 鈥淭heir air defenses are somewhat antiquated.鈥�
