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      WASHINGTON (AP) - NATO's limited role in command of the no-fly
zone over Libya doesn't allow the U.S. to make a quick exit from
the costly military operation as the Obama administration had
wanted.


      American sea and airpower remain key parts of the effort to
counter forces loyal to Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi after
allies balked at assuming complete command of the campaign that
began six days ago. The U.S., along with France and Great Britain,
maintain primary responsibility for attacks on Gadhafi's ground
forces and air defense systems, which are the toughest and most
controversial parts of the operation.

      The U.S. launched 15 more Tomahawk cruise missiles from naval
positions in the Mediterranean Sea, a military official said Friday
on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on
the record. The targets late Thursday and early Friday were Scud
missile garrisons near Tripoli, while U.S. bombers struck Gadhafi
artillery, command and control and tank positions elsewhere, the
official said. French and British warplanes attacked an artillery
battery and other targets near the town of Ajdabiya, which has been
under siege by Gadhafi forces for more than a week.


      Domestic political pressure on President Barack Obama to spell
out his Libya policy mounted Friday as a prominent Democrat
expressed reservations about the wisdom of continuing the military
mission.


      "I know the president carefully weighed all the options before
taking this emergency action but now that our military has
prevented an immediate disaster, I have very serious concerns about
what this intervention means for our country in the coming weeks,"
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., said. "Our military, and our
budget, are stretched thin fighting two wars already, and I want to
avoid getting into another conflict with unknown costs and
consequences."


      Another Democrat, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland,
said Gadhafi's military remains a threat.


      "I support President Obama's decision that the United States
will commit its firepower and technology to the coalition effort,
but no ground troops will be committed to the cause,"
Ruppersberger said Friday.


      The Obama administration had sought a clear signal from NATO on
the handover of command. Instead, it got a mixed message.


      NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen initially announced
the agreement in Brussels, saying the alliance could eventually
take more responsibility, "but that decision has not been reached
yet." Several NATO members - including Turkey, the alliance's only
Muslim member - had resisted any involvement in ground attacks.

      After Rasmussen's remarks, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton praised NATO for taking over the no-fly zone, even though
the U.S. had hoped the alliance would take full control of the
operation authorized by the United Nations, including the
protection of Libyan civilians and supporting humanitarian aid
efforts on the ground.


      "We are taking the next step: We have agreed along with our
NATO allies to transition command and control for the no-fly zone
over Libya to NATO," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
said.


      "All 28 allies have also now authorized military authorities to
develop an operations plan for NATO to take on the broader civilian
protection mission," she added.


      Lines of authority were unclear Thursday night, but it appeared
the NATO decision sets up dual command centers and opens the door
to confusion and finger-pointing. U.S. commanders would presumably
be chiefly responsible for ensuring that the NATO protective
flights do not conflict with planned combat operations under U.S.
command.


      Senior administration officials said the agreement came in a
four-way telephone call with Clinton and the foreign ministers of
Britain, France and Turkey. The four worked out the way forward,
which included the immediate transfer of command and control of the
no-fly zone over Libya, and by early next week of the rest of the
U.N.-mandated mission.


      The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss
sensitive military planning, said the actual handover of the no-fly
zone would occur in one or two days. They said NATO would have a
final operational plan by over the weekend for how it would assume
control over the rest of the protection mission, and that it would
be executable by Tuesday's meeting in London of nations
contributing to the military action.


      Clinton also praised the United Arab Emirates for becoming the
second Arab country after Qatar to send planes to help the mission
to protect Libyan civilians, enforce the U.N. arms embargo on the
North African country and support humanitarian aid efforts. The
U.A.E. will deploy 12 planes.


      The Pentagon, meanwhile, indicated U.S. warplanes will keep
flying strike missions over Libya. Navy Vice Adm. William Gortney,
staff director for the military Joint Chiefs, told reporters that
the American role will mainly be in support missions such as
refueling allied planes and providing aerial surveillance of Libya.
But the U.S. will still fly combat missions as needed, Gortney
said.


      "And I would anticipate that we would continue to provide some
of the interdiction strike packages as well, should that be needed
by the coalition," he added, referring to combat missions such as
attacks on Libyan mobile air defenses, ammunition depots, air
fields and other assets that support Libyan ground forces.


      Associated Press writers Pauline Jelinek, Donna Cassata and
Robert Burns contributed to this report from Washington.
      

Gallery

Rep. Ellison: Congress should be involved in defining US role in Libya

Libyan forces intensify shelling of rebels in east

US jet crashes in Libya; fighting rages in cities

NATO's limited role in command of the no-fly
zone over Libya doesn't allow the U.S. to make a quick exit from
the costly military operation as the Obama administration had
wanted.

NATO deal on Libya doesn't mean quick exit for US

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