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US pulls out warplanes from Libya
The US military on Monday withdrew its fighter jets from the international air campaign in Libya, officials said, after NATO asked Washington to keep up bombing raids for another 48 hours.

The United States had planned to halt combat missions and Tomahawk cruise missile launches at the weekend but accepted a NATO request to continue the operations for another 48 hours until Monday.

US combat sorties ended at 2200 GMT, with American warplanes on standby as NATO takes the lead, Pentagon spokesman Captain Darryn James said. After that, "US aviation assets are expected to cease strike sorties and will remain on an alert status if NATO requests their support," James said in an email.
So we're on alert status but we won't honor NATO requests to perform missions. Are we fooling anyone other than the New York Times?
Between 2200 GMT on Tuesday and 1000 GMT on Monday, US aircraft carried out at least two raids but launched no Tomahawk cruise missiles, James said. A US Harrier jet "engaged military vehicles near" Sirte and a US A-10 Thunderbolt "engaged military vehicles near Brega," he said.

US lawmakers have criticized President Barack Obama for scaling back the US military's role, saying NATO allies have no equivalent ground-attack aircraft to the A-10 "warthog."
Perhaps the Euros should consider designing and building such an aircraft. That way they wouldn't be beholden to the U.S. in situations like this. And while you're at it...
As other NATO countries plan to step up combat flights to replace the American aircraft, the US contribution will be confined mainly to electronic jamming, mid-air refueling, surveillance and search and rescue efforts.
Posted by: Steve White 2011-04-05
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=319735