After three days of strikes authorized by the United Nations Security Council, however, disputes within the allied coalition over the future of the mission seemed unresolved, while China added its voice to demands by opponents of the intervention for an immediate cease-fire.
According to the United States military, an F-15E Strike Eagle warplane went down late Monday “when the aircraft experienced equipment malfunction.” The aircraft, normally based in England, was flying out of Aviano Air Base in northeastern Italy when it crashed. “Both crew members ejected and are safe,” an American statement said.
Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, an American officer who is the tactical commander of the mission, said the two pilots had landed by parachute in eastern Libya and that one had been found by a coalition rescue team and another by “the people of Libya.” The pilot found by the Libyans, Admiral Locklear said, “was treated with dignity and respect” and is now in the custody of the United States.
Admiral Locklear, who briefed reporters at the Pentagon by telephone on Tuesday afternoon from his command ship in the Mediterranean, the Mount Whitney, provided no further details.
But Channel 4 News in Britain said that six villagers were shot by American troops during the rescue operation. None of the villagers — who were interviewed by a Channel 4 reporter in a nearby hospital — were killed, though a small boy could have a leg amputated. The United States military said it was investigating the reports.
A photograph shows its charred wreckage surrounded by onlookers in the middle of what looked like an empty field.
American officials said on Monday that military strikes to destroy air defenses and establish a no-fly zone over Libya had nearly accomplished their initial objectives, and that the United States was moving swiftly to hand command to allies in Europe. Admiral Locklear indicated there would be more strikes on Colonel Qaddafi’s ground forces in coming days now that 161 Tomahawk cruise missiles have largely knocked out his air defenses, largely freeing coalition pilots from the possibility of being shot down.
Admiral Locklear said that his intelligence reports showed that Colonel Qaddafi’s forces were attacking civilians in Misurata on Tuesday. He did not say whether there had been a response yet, but said, “We are considering all options.”
The admiral said he expected planes from Qatar — the only Arab country to provide aircraft so far — to be flying for the coalition by the weekend.
But divisions persisted on Tuesday over how the campaign should continue and under whose command.
Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain has said responsibility for the no-fly zone would be transferred to NATO. But France objected to that, with its foreign minister, Alain Juppé, saying: “The Arab League does not wish the operation to be entirely placed under NATO responsibility. It isn’t NATO which has taken the initiative up to now.”
Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said on Tuesday that the United Nations should be the umbrella for a solely humanitarian operation in Libya, Reuters reported, insisting that his country, a NATO ally, “will never ever be a side pointing weapons at the Libyan people.” The dispute raised concerns that American plans to hand over command of the operation could be delayed by disputes among its partners over who should take control.
The White House released a statement Tuesday saying that President Obama had called Mr. Erdogan and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, to impress upon them the need for “a broad-based international effort, including Arab states,” in the military campaign in Libya.
Outside the Western alliance, divisions seemed to deepen on Tuesday, with China joining Brazil and Russia in calling for a cease-fire, while India said there should be no foreign presence in Libya. India, Brazil, Russia, China and Germany abstained from the United Nations vote last week that authorized the intervention.
American, British and French warplanes have been flying sorties since Saturday, stalling a ground attack by pro-Qaddafi forces in the east and hitting targets including air defenses, an airfield and part of Colonel Qaddafi’s compound in Tripoli.
But the firepower of more than 130 Tomahawk cruise missiles and attacks by allied warplanes have not yet succeeded in accomplishing the more ambitious demands by the United States — repeated by President Obama in a letter to Congress on Monday — that Colonel Qaddafi withdraw his forces from embattled cities and cease all attacks against civilians.
