Defense Officials Offer Condolences for French Casualties

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – U.S. defense officials expressed condolences to the families of four French soldiers -- members of the International Security Assistance Force -- killed today in eastern Afghanistan’s Kapisa province.

An ISAF report said the service members were killed by an Afghan soldier and that the suspected shooter was apprehended. Several French soldiers were wounded in the attack.

"I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the families of the four brave, French soldiers killed in today's attack in Kapisa province,” Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen said in a statement from Kabul. “Today we mourn with France.”

The wounded soldiers and their families “are in my most fervent prayers for healing and recovery,” the ISAF commander said.

ISAF is committed to continuing to work with the government of Afghanistan “to resolve this very serious issue of individuals targeting our forces,” Allen said. “We will pursue a full and complete investigation and will work closely with France on the outcome.”

Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters this morning that such incidents coming from Afghanistan forces are called “green on blue” incidents.

“We believe that [such incidents] do appear to be increasing in frequency in recent months. What we can’t discern is a cause for that right now,” Kirby said.

“We’re certainly concerned about these incidents and ISAF officials are taking a look at it, but we also don’t believe that this is an endemic or systemic problem,” he added.

The great majority of partnered operations, and frankly most of our operations, are partnered now,” Kirby said. They “are done successfully, smoothly, efficiently and with good success.”

Kirby offered the Defense Department’s “thoughts and prayers” to the families of the French soldiers who were killed.

“France is a great ally, great friend, and we mourn as they do for their lost soldiers,” Kirby said.

He added, “Our thought and prayers also go out to the families of all those who are killed and wounded, but in particular today for those in the French military.”

In his statement from Kabul, Allen joined Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai in acknowledging France’s assistance to the Afghan people over the years.

“I am forever grateful to these soldiers of France for their exceptional courage, dedication to duty, character and service to their homeland,” Allen added. “They will always be remembered."

From Mons, Belgium, U.S. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, supreme allied commander Europe, also offered condolences to the French families, as well as to the American families of six U.S. service members who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistanyesterday.

The cause of the crash in Helmand province is under investigation, according to an ISAF release, but initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash.

Stavridis said, “Our thoughts and prayers, likewise, go out to their families.”

Pentagon Tallies Coalition Actions in Libya

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2011 – By the fifth day of coalition task force operations supporting a no-fly zone in Libya and protecting Libyan civilians, the 13-nation alliance had flown more than 300 sorties in the North African country, Pentagon officials said yesterday.

By 3 p.m. EDT yesterday, the United States had flown 212 sorties, other coalition sorties totaled 124, and Tomahawk missile launches numbered 162, officials said.

Officials said the 336 sorties included 108 strike sorties, meaning they encountered opposition from Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.

The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1973 on March 17, demanding an end to violence against Libyan citizens and authorizing enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya.

Task Force Odyssey Dawn, including forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada and Arab states, immediately shifted from humanitarian and refugee evacuation missions under way since March 4 to military air operations enforcing the resolution.

Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, task force commander, said yesterday the strikes are intended to open the door for international and nongovernmental organization humanitarian assistance efforts.

Locklear said the coalition’s top priority is protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

With the no-fly zone established and “robust,” the admiral said, “we are looking at the battle space as it changes, looking at the disposition of … Gadhafi's forces that are not complying with the U.N. Security Council resolution, and we are able to produce more of an effect.”

Strikes Degrade Libya's Defenses, But Threats Remain

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2011 – While the attacks on Libya’s integrated air and missile defense system have been successful, thousands of anti-aircraft artillery emplacements and portable missile launchers still pose threats to coalition air crews, the director of the Joint Staff said today.

On the second day of Operation Odyssey Dawn, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said the coalition cruise missile strikes against selected air defense systems and facilities were successful, and that coalition ships and submarines launched 124 Tomahawk missiles against these targets.

“We judge these strikes to have been very effective in degrading the regime’s air defense capability, to include their ability to launch many of their SA-5s – their long range missiles – their SA-3s and SA-2s,” Gortney said during a Pentagon news conference.

Moammar Gadhafi’s regime has not launched aircraft, and the coalition has not detected any radar emissions from the air defense sites targeted, the admiral said.

“There has been a significant decrease in the use of all Libyan air surveillance radars,” he added. “These seem to be limited to the areas around Tripoli and Sert.”

Air Force B-2 bombers also attacked Libyan airfields, flattening the hardened shelters Libyan fighter-bombers use, Gortney said. Coalition tactical fighters also hit Gadhafi’s ground forces on the outskirts of Benghazi, where 15 U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, French and British aircraft participated in the action about 10 miles south of the opposition stronghold. “We judge these also to have been highly successful at halting the regime ground movement in this region,” Gortney said.

Libya’s fixed surface-to-air missile threat and early warning radars are gone. The threat that remains comes from mobile surface-to-air missiles -- SA-6 and SA-8 systems – as well as thousands of shoulder-fired SA-7 missile launchers, the admiral told reporters.

The coalition has not directly targeted anti-aircraft artillery, Gortney said, because many are near homes and there are thousands of these guns.

The coalition has grown and will continue to increase, Gortney said, noting that it includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Italy, Qatar, Belgium, Norway and Denmark. More nations will directly participate in the coalition, he said, and other nations will provide overflight rights, basing and logistics. Gortney said those nations will make their announcements at their own times.

The United States leads the coalition effort now, but that will change, the admiral said.

“Our intent is to be a part of the coalition throughout, and transfer the command to a coalition command,” he said. The United States would shift to more of a support function that would include aerial tankers; electronic warfare aircraft; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft; and logistics.

Coalition Answers Libyan People’s Call, Flournoy Says

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2011 – Operation Odyssey Dawn is a coalition effort responding to the calls of the Libyan people, Arab nations and the international community as a whole, the undersecretary of defense for policy said today.

In a BBC interview, Michele Flournoy spoke about the operation aimed at protecting the people of Libya from forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi and establishing a no-fly zone over the nation.

Yesterday’s attacks set the conditions to establish the no-fly zone, she said.

“The first steps of establishing any no-fly zone are taking out the adversary’s air defenses,” she explained. U.S. and British warships fired 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Libyan integrated air and missile defense system, and American B-2 bombers attacked Libyan airfields.

To date, the countries that have announced they are part of the Odyssey Dawn coalition are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada and Qatar. More are expected to announce support in the coming days.

“This is an increasingly broad international coalition that includes not only the United States and European nations, but a number of Arab nations that are stepping up to provide various forms of assistance, whether it is military participation, access, basing, financial support and so forth,” Flournoy said.

The mission does not end with establishing the no-fly zone, she said, noting that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 calls for the coalition to protect Libyan civilians. Gadhafi’s forces were moving on Benghazi – the opposition strongpoint in eastern Libya. Flournoy said coalition forces will use all assets “to stop Gadhafi’s forces from moving in to those urban areas, to cut supply lines, command and control and so forth.”

“We will do whatever we can to enforce the U.N.’s resolution,” she added.

The undersecretary said directing coalition air power against Gadhafi’s tanks and armored vehicles in the cities will be difficult, but time is not on Gadhafi’s side.

“The will of the international community is quite strong,” she said. “The solidarity across … the region is quite strong. He’s lost his legitimacy by attacking his own people. Time will tell the outcome of this operation.”

Flournoy would not discuss anything beyond the current operation. “It’s too early to speculate about where this is going to end up,” she said. “Gadhafi and his military are going to be under enormous pressure. I think their efforts to turn against their own population will be thwarted. We will have to see how the days play out before we will know exactly how this end game will play out.”

Coalition Launches 'Operation Odyssey Dawn'

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 19, 2011 – Coalition forces launched “Operation Odyssey Dawn” today to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect the Libyan people from the country’s ruler.

The goal of the military coalition is to prevent further attacks by regime forces on Libyan citizens, officials said, adding that the coalition also wants to degrade the ability of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime to resist a no-fly zone being implemented.

U.S. military forces are on the leading edge of the coalition operation, taking out Libya’s integrated air and missile defense system, Defense Department officials said. The ordnance is aimed at radars and anti-aircraft sites around the capital of Tripoli and other facilities along the Mediterranean coast.

Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is commanded by U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear aboard the command ship USS Mount Whitney. The Mount Whitney joins 24 other ships from Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom and France in launching the operation.

Cruise missiles from U.S. submarines and frigates began the attack on the anti-aircraft system. A senior defense official speaking on background said the attacks will “open up the environment so we could enforce the no-fly zone from east to west throughout Libya.”

In addition to the cruise missiles, the United States will provide command and control and logistics. American airmen and sailors also will launch electronic attacks against the systems.

The United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada already have announced that they are part of the coalition. Officials expect Arab countries will publicly announce their participation soon.