5 Western Nations Pound Gaddafi Regime in Libya, Arabs Expected to Join

Anti-aircraft fire lights up the sky over Tripoli, as the US, Britain and France pound Libya with Tomahawk missiles and air strikes. EPA/BGNES

Five Western nations – the USA, the UK, France, Italy, and Canada – have been identified as participating in "Operation Odyssey Dawn" – air and missile strikes against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Operation Odyssey Dawn is supposed to create a no-fly zone over Libya as mandated by Resolution 1973 of the UN Security Council approved Thursday.

"Of the coalition, the countries that have asked us to mention their names, of course, the United States, UK, French, Italy and Canada.  The other countries have asked for them, that they want to be able to make the announcement and it is the same for the Arab countries as well," said in Washington, DC, US Vice Admiral William Gortney as cited by international media several hours after a French fighter jet fire the first shots of the operation against Muammar Gaddafi.

Thus far it remains unclear which other Western and which Arab nations are taking part in the military effort against the Gaddafi regime, which is fighting a popular uprising.

Egypt's transition authorities have said that they will not take part in the international operation against their neighbor Libya.

Several countries have declared themselves against the foreign military operations in Libya including Russia and Venezuela, whose President Hugo Chavez is known to have close ties with Gaddafi.

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