Breaking Down The Attack On Libya
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USS Barry launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn. (U.S. Navy)
WHO: U.S., France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Turkey have formed an international coalition. A list of what each country is contributing and a guide to some of the aircraft being used.
WHAT: The coalition is enforcing a U.N. Security Council resolution, which BBC analyzed here. The group is taking "all necessary means" to protect civilians in Libya. Since Feb. 15, thousands of Libyans have been fighting to take control of Libya away from Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
The anti-Gaddafi rebels, among many grievances, are fed up with the fact that so much of Libya's wealth from selling rights to oil fields has gone to Gaddafi, his family and close allies instead of the wider population. Gaddafi has ruled for 42 years.
But the rebels' hold on various cities was crushed during the past week when Gaddafi's troops attacked them with terrific force on the ground and from the air.
WHEN: The attacks began Saturday night in Libya (or Saturday morning in the U.S.). This is just the first-phase of an attack expected to last several days, if not weeks.
WHERE: The no-fly zone, expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars per week to enforce, would span across Libya's northern coastal cities, according to current plans. See more in the video below.
WHY: The coalition is seeking to impose a no-fly zone to prevent Gaddafi from launching any more airstrikes that could injure or kill innocent and unarmed civilians.
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