U.S.: Assault on Libya inflicts heavy damage

A two-day U.S. and allied air assault on Libya has inflicted heavy damage on leader Moammar Gadhafi's ability to fire missiles or attack rebels, according to Pentagon officials and reports from rebel strongholds.

In Benghazi, the major rebel stronghold, residents fired weapons in jubilation Sunday and climbed on the burned-out shells of tanks destroyed by the airstrikes. They were celebrating the allied attacks, which came after Gadhafi's forces pounded the city with artillery and tank shells and entered the outskirts.

"I feel like in two days, max, we will destroy Gadhafi," said Ezzeldin Helwani, 35.

Air attacks over the weekend hit tanks, rocket launchers, radar and communications facilities of forces loyal to the Libyan strongman, Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney, staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon briefing Sunday.

Tomahawk missiles — 124 launched from ships and submarines on the first day of the attack — limited Gadhafi's ability to shoot down allied planes with surface-to-air missiles, Gortney said.

A three-story administration building in Gadhafi's residential compound was blasted by a cruise missile late Sunday, the Associated Press said, citing the account of one of its photographers. It was not known whether there were casualties.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. expects to turn over control of the Libya military mission to a coalition headed either by the French and British or by NATO, "in a matter of days."

"We will continue to support the coalition ... but we will not have the pre-eminent role," Gates said.

Gortney said further strikes on the scale of Saturday's heavy assault with sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles may not be needed.

Allied forces are not targeting Gadhafi, but Gadhafi could be in danger if he visits targeted military facilities, Gortney said

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on CNN that Gadhafi should pull back troops and stop "attacking his people."

"He's got a vote here," Mullen said.

B-2 radar-evading stealth bombers, flown from an Air Force base in Missouri, destroyed several shelters that had housed Libyan warplanes at Ghaldabiya airport, Gortney said.

U.S., French and British warplanes attacked Libyan ground forces that were threatening Benghazi.

Gortney said that attacks on military facilities near Tripoli, the capital, have damaged radar facilities and that sensors are detecting no Libyan radar tracking of aircraft.

Qatar was sending warplanes Sunday to patrol Libyan airspace, the first Arab state to do so.

Sunday's attacks demonstrated the predominance of U.S. firepower in the international coalition.

Mullen said there were no known U.S. or allied losses and no reported civilian casualties. Libyan state TV said 48 people had been killed, but the report could not be independently verified.