U.S. Troops Ready to Go Into Libya

The U.S. military is preparing warships and air forces to enter Libya should the civil war there continue to escalate, although Pentagon and military officials said Monday night it is “unlikely now” that the military will intervene. Forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi gathered near the Tunisian border early Tuesday morning, in a sign that they may attack Tunisia or refugee camps along the border. U.S. and European leaders said Monday they were debating a “no-fly” zone against Gaddafi, while France said it would fly aid into the opposition-controlled eastern half of the country. Meanwhile, anti-government rebels were locked in fierce battles in Tripoli, Misurata, and Zawiya with Gaddafi’s own private army. The Libyan Defense Ministry denied bombing the western region, the area closest to the Tunisian border.