Coalition strike hits Kadhafi's control center

WASHINGTON: An air strike against an office building in a compound whose residence Moammar Gadhafi in Tripoli Libyan leader destroyed the "ability to command and control," an official of the coalition.
"The coalition is actively implementing the resolution (resolution of the Security Council UN) 1973, and pursuant to this mission, we continue to hit those targets that pose a direct threat to the Libyan people and our ability to implement the no-fly zone, "an official said Sunday.
The building, about 50 meters (165 feet) from the tent where guests generally meets Gaddafi, has been razed.
The U.S. military said earlier in the day allied strikes had paralyzed the air defenses of the Gaddafi regime and an embattled air exclusion zone has been applied successfully across the country.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and senior military officers have said that the U.S. military would now look to take a back seat and warned the coalition against the misuse of the mission, especially against directly targeting Gaddafi.
"We believe that these strikes were very effective in significantly degrade the ability of the air defense system," Vice Adm. Bill Gortney at a conference at the Pentagon. "The flight zone is actually in place."
French, American and British forces launched the biggest intervention in the Arab world since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, shooting more than 120 Tomahawk cruise missiles and bombing raids on key targets Libya.
Asked about a speech by British counterpart Liam Fox suggested targeting Gaddafi himself, Gates said the allied intervention should stick to the parameters allowed by the United Nations in a vote last Thursday.
"I think it's important that we act within the mandate of Security Council resolution the United Nations, he said.