U.S. and Allied Forces Fire Back on Gadhafi's Forces

After the Chimperator's fools errand in Iraq I will concede that I am a bit gun shy on more additional U.S. involvement in the Middle East or North Africa. That said, I have real problems with the use of military forces against civilians and unconscionable brutality by a tyrant who shows signs of insanity and a total disregard for the lives of his people. At this point in time, I therefore hesitantly support the actions of the USA and its allies to stop the slaughter of civilians by megalomaniac Moammar Gadhafi. I shudder at the needless loss of lives and damage to Libya's infrastructure. It speaks volumes when a so-called leader is willing to murder civilians and destroy his country in order to maintain personal dictatorial power. CNN has these developments on events in Libya:
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Explosions and anti-aircraft fire thundered in the skies above Tripoli early Sunday, but it was not clear whether they resulted from another round of cruise missile attacks by allies determined to stop Moammar Gadhafi's offensive against Libyan opposition forces.
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American, French and British military forces, convinced that Gadhafi was not adhering to a United Nations-mandated cease-fire, hammered Libyan military positions with missiles and fighter jets in the first phase of an operation that will include enforcement of a no-fly zone.

More than 110 Tomahawk missiles fired from American and British ships and submarines hit about 20 Libyan air and missile defense targets in western portions of the country, U.S. Vice Adm. William Gortney said at a Pentagon briefing.
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The U.S. will conduct a damage assessment of the sites, which include SA-5 missiles and communications facilities. A senior U.S. military official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the cruise missiles, which fly close to the ground or sea at about 550 miles per hour, landed near Misrata and Tripoli.
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The salvo, in an operation dubbed "Odyssey Dawn," was meant "to deny the Libyan regime from using force against its own people," said Gortney.
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U.S. Navy photos showed flashes of light and smoke funnels as missiles soared from a destroyer into the night sky.
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Earlier, French fighter jets deployed over Libya fired at a military vehicle Saturday, the first strike against Gadhafi's military forces, which earlier attacked the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.
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An eyewitness in Misrata said Gadhafi's forces are targeting fuel and power stations in an effort to make citizens believe the damage is being done by coalition forces. The eyewitness, who was not identified for security reasons, said people celebrated allied airstrikes on loyalist positions in the city. CNN could not verify the account.
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Shortly after the first missile attacks, U.S. President Barack Obama informed the American people of the efforts by a "broad coalition."
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"The use of force is not our first choice," the president said from Brasilia, Brazil. "It is not a choice I make lightly. But we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his own people that there will be no mercy."
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I have little confidence in Obama. However, from the news reports I have seen to date, I believe that intervention in Libya is perhaps the right thing to do. I shudder to think what Gadhafi will to those deemed rebels should he prevail. Where it will all end is anyone's guess.