Top U.S. officials cautious on Libya no-fly zone

By Susan Cornwell and Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior U.S. officials on Wednesday stressed the diplomatic and military risks of imposing a "no-fly" zone over Libya to help rebels fighting Muammar Gaddafi's forces, saying such a move was not imminent.

Some U.S. lawmakers have urged a no-fly zone as a way to loosen Gaddafi's grip on power but opposition is high among Arab nations to any foreign intervention and Washington has stressed the need to work with allies to resolve the crisis.

"Let's just call a spade a spade. A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defences," Defence Secretary Robert Gates told a budget hearing in the House of Representatives. "And then you can fly planes around the country and not worry about our guys being shot down."

U.S. officials say all options are on the table over the violence in the oil-producing North African nation. But they are wary of military steps as they grapple with the financial and human costs of long, bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who just returned from a consensus-building trip to Geneva, said U.S. military assets could be used to support the movement of supplies to Libyan areas in need but a no-fly zone was not an immediate priority.

"I think we are a long way from making that decision," Clinton told a Senate hearing.

The Senate on Tuesday approved a nonbinding resolution calling for the United Nations Security Council to consider imposing a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians there from attack.

In a symbolic show of force aimed at keeping pressure on Gaddafi, the United States sent warships towards Libya. Two amphibious assault ships, the USS Kearsarge and the USS Ponce, are now in the Mediterranean Sea, a U.S. official said.