David Cameron: military action is "necessary, legal and right"
Saturday, March 19, 2011
UK forces 'in action' over Libya
British forces are in action over Libya, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.
A British submarine has fired a number of Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defence targets, the Ministry of Defence added.
Mr Cameron said the action was "legal, necessary and right" and he praised the British forces involved as "the bravest of the brave".
France, US, Canada and Italy are also involved in the military action.
US officials said it was a "carefully coordinated" joint operation known as Odyssey Dawn.
French planes destroyed Libyan vehicles earlier on Saturday, and US media say the US has fired missiles at Libya from a warship.
Defence sources told the BBC Britain had launched a number of missiles from Trafalgar class submarines in the Mediterranean, aimed at Libyan air defence targets including radar and surface-to-air missile weapons.
Libyan state TV reported that what it called the "crusader enemy" had bombed civilian areas of Tripoli, as well as fuel storage tanks supplying the western city of Misrata.
After hosting a meeting of the government's emergency management committee Cobra in Downing Street, Mr Cameron said: "British forces are in action over Libya. They are part of an international coalition to enforce the will of the United Nations.
"We have all seen the appalling brutality meted out by Col Gaddafi against his own people."
It was a "just cause" and in "Britain's best interests", he added.
British and US submarines fired 110 Tomahawks in total at Libyan targets.
The Chief of Defence Staff's strategic communications officer Maj Gen John Lorimer said: "This is the first stage. UK and partner forces remain engaged in ongoing operations as we seek to ensure that Col Gaddafi and his forces understand that the international community will not stand by and watch them kill civilians."
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Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-12797500
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