Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday coalition forces are doing everything in their power to limit collateral damage as they enforce the no-fly zone over the northern coastal region of Libya. “Virtually all of our targets are [in] isolated, non-populated areas, [such as] air defense sites,” he said during a briefing in Moscow where he was meeting with Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to discuss bilateral military issues. Gates added, “It’s perfectly evident that the vast majority, if not nearly all civilian casualties, have been inflicted by [Libyan leader Muammar] Qaddafi.” Adm. Samuel Locklear, who’s overseeing the coalition effort to protect Libyan civilians from bloodshed, said Tuesday it’s clear that Qaddafi continues to attack his civilian population in places like Misurata, east of Tripoli. (Locklear transcript) (Gates-Serdyukov joint press statement) (Gates transcript)
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
