Report: US Navy deploys warships to Libyan coast

Two U.S. Navy destroyers are steaming their way toward the Libyan coast in the latest move by the White House and Pentagon to bolster American security forces in the country. 

The USS Laboon and USS McFaul, both Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, have reportedly been sent to the waters near the North African nation, according to reports by CNN. 

It remains unclear as to what the warships' mission will be once they arrive on station in the Mediterranean, but both vessels are armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.  

Tomahawks were used by U.S. and coalition forces against targets inside Libya last year, as part of the U.N.-mandated peacekeeping mission. That mission was carried out during the country's violent revolt against former Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi. 

"These ships will give the administration flexibility," a senior official told CNN, should the Department of Defense or the White House decide to take action against suspected militants in the country. 

The deployments come a day after Libyan gunmen stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, killing four Americans including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. 

Three other U.S. citizens were wounded during the four-hour firefight between security forces at the consulate and Libyan fighters during the Benghazi raid. 

Since the consulate attack, all U.S. personnel have been withdrawn from Benghazi and the American embassy in Triopli has been reduced to emergency staff, administration officials said. 

The Pentagon has also sent Marine Corps units from the U.S. military's Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team to Tripoli to provide additional protection for American diplomats still in country. 

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