Should the United States Enforce Libyan No-Fly Zone?
There have been more calls for U.S. to enforce a no-fly zone in Libya.
March 7, 2011— -- As forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi battle the opposition for control of key cities, the Obama administration is under growing pressure to do something to stop the violence.
Although rebels celebrated after pushing Gadhafi's forces out of Misrata, this increasingly appears to be a fight no one is winning.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon talked to Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa and called for an end to the fighting, according to a U.N. statement Sunday.
The fighting in Libya has escalated with forces loyal to Gadhafi using helicopter gunships and rockets to pound rebel forces over the weekend.
Gadhafi says his forces have retaken rebel occupied cities, while the rebels say they are still in control of the east.
And there have been more calls for the United States to step in with a big move: enforcing a no-fly zone.
"This would send a signal to Gadhafi that the president is serious when he says we need for Gadhafi to go," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said.
A no-fly zone could allow rebels to take a decisive step forward and stop Gadhafi's ability to launch air attacks.
But it could also require U.S. bombing inside Libya to take out air-defense systems.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has tried to shut the idea down and was joined Sunday by President Obama's chief of staff, Bill Daley.
"Lots of people throw around phrases of "no-fly zone," and they talk about it as though it's just a game on a video game or something," Daley said on "Meet the Press."
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