http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704889404576277413211029304.html

APRIL 22, 2011

U.S. Launches Drone Strikes in Libya

Attacks Aim to Protect Civilians Amid a Shift in Strategy by Gadhafi's Troops; 'the Character of the Fight Has Changed'

By JULIAN E. BARNES

WASHINGTON--The U.S. said it is starting to use armed drones to carry out missile strikes against Col. Moammar Gadhafi's troops in Libya, despite the Obama administration's vow to leave such offensive missions to its allies.

Defense officials said the airstrikes--which will target Libyan troops hiding near civilians in urban areas--were necessary to respond to a shift in tactics by the Libyan military. Allied aircraft have proved unable to fully protect civilians and rebel forces under heavy attack from Gadhafi loyalists. The drones can get closer, allowing more-precise strikes, and loiter longer, giving them a better chance of finding hidden targets.

"The president has said where we have unique capabilities, he is willing to use those," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, as he announced the drone strikes.

The U.S. is putting two Predator drones, each equipped with two Hellfire missiles, in Libyan airspace around the clock. The first Predator attack sorties were launched Thursday, though after the aircraft took off, weather conditions prevented any strikes.

President Barack Obama has based his Libya policy on the notion that the U.S. would take a back-seat role in protecting rebels and civilians from Col. Gadhafi's forces. After leading the initial attacks last month, the U.S. turned over responsibility for hitting armored columns and other ground forces to French, British and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations.

Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the shift was necessary because the Libyan military has altered its tactics. Libyan units are now trying to blend in with civilians in congested areas, such as the besieged city of Misrata.

"The character of the fight has changed," Gen. Cartwright said. "Things that are out in the open know that they will probably perish if a NATO bird sees them. You are seeing a much more dispersed fight, people that are digging in or nestling up against crowded areas."

The U.S. move follows other recent steps ratcheting up the allied mission to overcome what appears to be a bloody stalemate between Libyan government and rebel forces. Britain, France and Italy have said they will put military trainers on the ground in Libya to aid the rebels. Mr. Gates said the training assistance could address a key rebel weakness, improving rebels' ability to communicate and battlefield coordination.

Mr. Gates denied that the addition of armed Predators signaled a re-escalation of the U.S. role. He also expressed confidence that NATO would be able to continue enforcing the no-fly zone and weakening the Libyan military. As Libya's military strength is eroded by allied attacks, Col. Gadhafi should be less able to squelch future uprisings in Libyan cities, Mr. Gates said.

"Day after day," Mr. Gates said, "the capabilities of his military are being reduced."

Although Mr. Obama has said the NATO military operation won't cease as long as Col. Gadhafi remains in power, Mr. Gates emphasized that regime change in Libya remains a political--not a military--goal.

It was critical, he said, for the Libyans, not NATO, to oust Col. Gadhafi.

"Regime change imposed from the outside, as we have seen in Iraq and in the Balkans, is incredibly difficult and works best as we have seen in Tunisia and Egypt when it is done from within," Mr. Gates said. "We are trying to provide enough space to protect the opposition.... To the extent we can we are reducing his [Col. Gadhafi's] military capability."

Drones have been used for reconnaissance missions from the start of the conflict, but in recent days, NATO commanders had asked the U.S. to provide armed Predator strikes.

Mr. Gates said the use of the drones to strike targets in Misrata, and potentially other cities under Libyan military attack, is consistent with the United Nations-endorsed mission of preventing a humanitarian disaster.

The Predators being used in Libya weren't taken from Afghanistan, Gen. Cartwright said. The U.S. has often operated Predators from its base in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, though officials declined to identify exactly where the drones would be based during the Libya mission.