The news just broke on the Guardian's live blog from the U.N.
UN security council air strikes vote - live
6.33pm ET: Here's the result: 10 in favour, zero against, five abstentions. So the vote went exactly as predicted. "The resolution 1973/2011 is adopted.," says the chairman.
I'm gratified to see the Obama administration finally pushed forcefully for action on the Libyan uprising in the U.N. Security Council. Now with Muammar Gaddafi's latest threats (see below) it should be obvious to all parties if the Security Council doesn't act it may result in atrocities against civilians in the rebel held areas.
No let-up in Gaddafi offensive
In a radio address on Thursday, Gaddafi called pro-democracy fighters in Benghazi "armed gangsters" and urged residents to attack them.
"You all go out and cleanse the city of Benghazi," he said.
"We will track them down, and search for them, alley by alley, road by road ... Massive waves of people will be crawling out to rescue the people of Benghazi, who are calling out for help, asking us to rescue them. We should come to their rescue."
He suggested that residents had been tricked by forces acting against Libya, and urged them to lay down their arms. he said those who did would not be harmed.
I expect that air strikes will start within the next couple of hours. I can always tell when Military readiness goes up by the dramatic increase in drills by the carrier based radar jamming squadrons based here on the island. One Navy practice field is just up the hill from me, where they practice making carrier landings on a small airstrip. An hour ago they're flying over, making steeply banked turns at treetop level every 30 seconds.
Here's Gaddafi's initial reaction to the passage of the Security Council's Resolution:
Libya resolution: UN security council air strikes vote - live
6.36pm ET: Muammar Gaddafi has already made his feelings known, telling the Portuguese TV channel RTP that the UN resolution was an act of "flagrant colonization" for which it had no legal mandate:
This is craziness, madness, arrogance. If the world gets crazy with us we will get crazy too. We will respond. We will make their lives hell because they are making our lives hell. They will never have peace.
There we are: Muammar Gaddafi threatens to "get crazy".
A tweet from Mohammad El-Baghdad also from the Guardian:
Benghazi now throwing what's probably the biggest party in its recent history.
#Libyaless than a minute ago via TweetDeckIyad El-Baghdadi
iyad_elbaghdadi
Earlier today Rush Limbaugh backed up Muammar Gaddafi's claims about the Libyan Rebels:
Limbaugh backs Gaddafi's claim: Libyan Rebels "probably influenced by Al Quaida"
RUSH: We had a democracy movement in Iraq. We took it to Iraq. We delivered it. Libya sent fighters to help the "insurgents" in Iraq.