UN helicopter fires at Gbagbo Ivory Coast forces
None
A United Nations helicopter fired at strongman Laurent Gbagbo's forces on Monday as France authorized its military to take out his heavy weapons, an unprecedented escalation in the international community's efforts to oust the entrenched leader.
The office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had requested France's military participation. Gbagbo lost presidential elections in November but has refused to cede power to Alassane Ouattara even as his West African nation teetered on the brink of all-out civil war. (AP)
