Benghazi swings between celebration and chaos

BENGHAZI, Libya -- The mood in Benghazi swings between celebration and chaos today, a day after Western forces began air strikes on Gaddafi tanks south of the city limits.

U.S., British and French forces have fired on Libya from the air and sea over the past 24 hours, two days after the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1973 that authorized the Allies to "take all necessary measures" to prevent Gaddafi's forces from attacking civilians.

"Operation Odyssey Dawn" is the West's biggest intervention in the Arab world since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq eight years ago.

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As the air strikes continued this morning on a column of armored vehicles 30 kilometers south, rebel soldiers packed into a square in the city center, spraying the air with victory shots.

There are reports that some bullets were being aimed at suspected remnants of the regime, but it is hard to confirm those claims, given the fact that so many guns are in the hands of untrained, jubilant soldiers.

Read more of this story by James Foley at GlobalPost

The following is a video containing graphic images from fighting in Benghazi on Saturday: