By ROBERT BURNSAP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON — Twoweeks after a dark-of-nightbarrage of mostly U.S. mis-siles and bombs openedthe inter nat ional a irassault on Libya’s Moam-mar Gadhafi, the Americancombat role is ending, therag-tag rebels are reelingand the Pentagon is bet-ting its European allies canfinish the job.

Gadhafi is still standing,with a few uncertain signsthat his inner circle couldcrack. The Obama admin-istration is hoping that ifGadhafi’s governmentdoesn’t implode soon, arelentless campaign ofairstrikes on his tanks, airdefenses and most trustedarmy units will at leastweaken his ability to sur-vive a renewed uprising bya disjointed opposition.

The rebels initially rat-tled Gadhafi but in recentdays have given up most oftheir gains.

T h e b o t t o m l i n e ,according to Adm. MikeMullen, chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff: “He’sstill killing his people.”

So the mission remainsincomplete, but the U.S. isfollowing through on apledge to shift the maincombat burden to Britain,France and other NATOallies.

Starting today, no U.S.combat aircraft are to flystrike missions in Libya.NATO’s on-scene com-mander can request Amer-ican strikes in the daysahead, in which case theymay have to be approvedin Washington.

On Saturday, U.S. com-bat aircraft flew 24 strikemissions in Libya, the Pen-

By PATRICK QUINNAssociated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghansrioted for a second day Saturday toprotest the burning of a Quran inFlorida, killing nine people in Kan-dahar and injuring more than 80 in awave of violence that underscoredrising anti-foreign sentiment afternearly a decade of war.

The desecration at a small U.S.church has outraged Muslimsworldwide, and in Afghanistan it fur-ther strained ties with the West. OnFriday, 11 people were killed, includ-ing seven foreign U.N. employees, ina protest in the northern city ofMazar-i-Sharif.

The protests come at a criticaljuncture as the U.S.-led coalitiongears up for an insurgent spring

offensive and a summer withdrawalo f s o m e t r o o p s , a n d w i t hAfghanistan’s mercurial presidentincreasingly questioning interna-tional motives and NATO’s militarystrategy.

Two suicide attackers disguisedas women blew themselves up and athird was gunned down Saturdaywhen they used force to try to entera NATO base on the outskirts of

Kabul, NATO and Afghan police said.Earlier in the week, six U.S. soldiersdied during an operation againstinsurgents in eastern Afghanistannear Pakistan, where the Talibanretain safe havens.

P r e s i d e n t H a m i d K a r z a iexpressed regret for the 20 protestdeaths, but he also further stokedpossible anti-foreign sentiment by

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By REBECCA BEITSCHBismarck Tribune

Associated PressA Libyan rebel shoutsreligious slogans beforeheading towards thefrontline, near Brega,Libya, on Saturday.

Americaeases offmissionin Libya

MIKE McCLEARY/TribuneBob Christman, the deputy agriculture commissioner and thought to be the longest-serving deputy in North Dakota state government, standsnext to a pair of photos in his office of the family farm where he was raised in Adams County. At $93,900, Christman’s salary is $3,778more than Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring’s.

Continued on 8A Continued on 8A

Gadhafi keepsgrip on power

B Y R E B E C C A B E I T S C H / B I S M A R C K T R I B U N E

In some offices in NorthDakota state government,deputies are making more thantheir bosses.

Outside of the governor’soffice, nine of North Dakota’sdepartment heads are chosenin statewide elections. Four

department deputies are earn-ing more than the elected offi-cial they answer to.

The two top department jobsare different than most othersin state government. Electedofficials have their salaries setby the Legislature and put into

statute. Their deputies are partof a small group of stateemployees who can be hiredand fired for political reasonsbut are there primarily as a sec-ond-in-command for adminis-trative purposes.Continued on 8A

20 dead in two days of Afghan rioting