Gates says U.S. to fly armed drones over Libya

The unmanned aircraft, already used to target militants along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, will allow for precise attacks against Gaddafi's forces, Gates told a news conference."He (Obama) has approved the use of armed Predators," Gates said, adding that the unmanned Predators would allow for "some precision capability" against Libyan government forces.

The U.S. military plans to maintain two patrols of armed Predators above Libya at any given time, permitting better surveillance -- and targeting -- of Gaddafi's forces as they dig into positions next to civilian areas, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright told the same briefing.

The drones are based in the region but typically flown by remote control by pilots in the United States. The drones for Libya had not been withdrawn from Afghanistan, Gates and Cartwright said.

Gates said Obama continues to be opposed to sending U.S. ground forces into Libya and stressed that regime change "was always a political goal" that could be accomplished from within Libya.

"Regime change imposed from the outside as we have seen in Iraq and in the Balkans is incredibly difficult and works best, as we have seen in Tunisia and Egypt, when it is done from within and we are trying to provide enough space and, in order to protect the opposition from Gaddafi's military to the extent we can, we are reducing his military capabilities," Gates said.

Asked why the United States did not want to increase its role in Libya, Gates said the U.S. military was already stretched thin, with 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, 50,000 troops in Iraq and 18,000 sailors on 19 ships assisting Japan after its devastating earthquake and tsunami last month.