WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is warning that Libya is at risk of collapsing into a “protracted civil war” amid increasingly violent clashes between government forces and those opposed to leader Moammar Gadhafi.
She tells Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. must lead an international response to the crisis.
She says protective military air cover in Libya is a real possibility, although she acknowledged there would be drawbacks.
Testifying before a separate panel Tuesday, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East says the military would have to take out Libyan air defenses in order to establish a no-fly zone there.
Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command, says a no-fly zone would deter attempts to bomb Libyans as they protest the government.
