Qaddafi vows a long war after the West intervenes

A coalition of U.S., French, and British warships and fighter jets interceded on behalf of rebels in Libya's civil war.

What happened

Cruise missiles and bombs rained down on Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi’s forces this week, as a coalition of U.S., French, and British warships and fighter jets interceded on behalf of rebels in the country’s civil war. The American-led coalition’s intervention came after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution that authorized “all necessary measures” to protect the civilians in rebel-held towns and cities, which were under heavy bombardment from Qaddafi’s tanks and warplanes as he threatened to “show no mercy” to his enemies. The multinational forces unleashed a barrage against Libyan air defense sites and surface-to-air missile batteries, effectively destroying his air force, and then drove back Libyan armored and infantry units massing outside the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

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