Posted on 03/27/2011 7:46:58 AM PDT by quesney
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S.-led military action in Libya has bolstered rebels fighting Moammar Gadhafi's forces, but the international operation could continue for months, the Obama administration says.
NATO's top decision-making body was to meet Sunday to expand its enforcement of the no-fly zone to include air strikes against Libyan ground targets.
The military progress follows deep criticism against Obama from lawmakers upset that the administration hadn't sought greater congressional input on Libya.
[...]
But asked on ABC's "This Week" if that would mean a U.S. military commitment until year's end, Gates said, "I don't think anybody knows the answer to that."
[...]
The lack of clarity on that question reflects a worry for lawmakers clamoring to hear fuller explanations from the administration on why the U.S. was embroiling itself in another Muslim conflict and what the ultimate goals of the intervention are.
[...]
Asked if the Libyan conflict posed a threat to the United States, Gates said it was "not a vital national interest" but he insisted that the situation nevertheless demanded U.S. involvement..
Clinton noted how the strife affects Europe's key interests, from oil to immigration, and that their concerns were important...
"When it comes to Libya, we started hearing from the U.K., France, Italy, other of our NATO allies," she added. "This was in their vital national interest."
Those themes will likely be taken up by Obama, who cited "significant success" in the war and defended the U.S. intervention as lawful and critical to save thousands of lives. In his weekend radio and Internet address, he noted that the U.S. cannot get involved in every world crisis, but said if Gadhafi was threatening a "bloodbath that could destabilize an entire region ... it's in our national interest to act. And it's our responsibility."
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
where are the war protestors????? this is obamas fault!
How will we know when someone won??
The democratization of Islam is going to take a lot longer than six months or six years or six decades.
Democratization of islam is pointless when islam commands death and subjugation for non-believers.
Democracy is simply evil when it means that the 80% of Egyptians who think muslims who find God should be killed can have their way. -Just as islam commands.
Islam is evil and cannot be made to be good. All the things we hold to be good are things islam opposes. Either we destroy islam or islam destroys us. Al else is simply wishful thinking.
Obama: "...it's in our national interest to act. And it's our responsibility..."
Not it is NOT Barry. If it's anyone's 'responsibility', it's Italy's.
From the CIA World fact Book:
Background: The Italians supplanted the Ottoman Turks in the area around Tripoli in 1911 and did not relinquish their hold until 1943 when defeated in World War II. Libya then passed to UN administration and achieved independence in 1951.Languages: Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities.
I'd say it was the UN's responsibility but as we know they're useless. Plus most all their 'Blue Helmets' are American Military personnel 'conscripted' into 'their army' and we don't need that crap again (or ever).
The valuable part of the Libyan situation may not take all that long to resolve. The rebels have retaken the important oil ports of Brega and Ras Lanuf, and are headed to Sirte, Qadaffi’s dreamed of new capitol. If Sirte falls quickly, then there is mostly open road to the area of Misrata which has been rebelling heroically. Three quarters of the oil areas are now in the hands of the rebels and could probably start exporting again in a few weeks. See my latest post of AOL News with 500 more photos. I looked at the first 50 which showed rebels in control of the above two oil ports plus several smaller towns on the main road to Sirte.
“Democracy is simply evil when it means that the 80% of Egyptians...”
Democracy for Democracy’s sake will always end in evil, once the wrong mobs have control of it, and in Islam that is a given from the beginning, since their rule of law is Sharia, and their gift to humanity is jihad.
If the Rebels are such great people then why not put in the ground forces needed to end this in a week or two tops??
Caliphate with American arms, American troops, American money.
The UN volunteered our troops to protect the Libyans and that is they way it is supposed to be in the New World Order.
And when it all goes south: American blame,”justified” military actions on American soil against America, and UN-led troops in American streets. Our only recourse will be to increase the support for our own enslavement because we will be owned by foreign interests intent on bleeding us dry to effect our demise.
You will refuse to pay? They will have ownership of our resources and use those to leverage their own ends.
You will go against them with guns? They will decimate entire neighborhoods with American drones to protect themselves.
You will “go Galt”? Who cares when they already have everything they need from you and can just wait you out while you freeze, starve, or die without medical attention.
I suppose this qualifies as hysteria, to some. Underestimate these oppressors at your own peril.
(By *you* in the above, I mean all of us.)
Quagmire! I strongly suggest nobama implement the vaunted WTF strategy!!!!!
We want to sell weapons to NATO countries.......
Do we want more GUNS or BUTTER? This is an economic war. Its a War for JOBS, TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS, and to Get re-elected as he wants to get people back to work with new jobs in the defense industry when all HELL breaks loose.
AXELROD AND OBUMMER have this scripted out to not only destroy the economy when WORLD WAR III erupts but he also knows that he can do anything he wants as he only answers to GEORGE SORO’S.
It’s a quagmire!
I have too. They have failed us, and they have failed America.
They are not who they claim to be, they are part of the problem.
Enablers.
I am waiting for the House to impeach Soetoro for violating the war powers act.
waiting...
I’m wondering where the anti-war protesters are, with their cries that the war is over oil and just an excuse to make US govt. leaders and their oil-buddies rich. Oh, they only say that when a Repub. is in office.
When the oil revenues come in, who will benefit and who will make the decisions where the money will be spent? Those who will make the decisions will be the players who will hold the cards, be they (the cards) Aces or Deuces and how will those cards be played is the thing which worries me. May those, with the cards, be holding Deuces.
Good old arbitrary judgement when it comes to determine when to interfere in the Islamic world and when doing so would be a crime that would make the president in question a war criminal who needs to be tried and hanged.
For the record, as much as there was jsutification for removing Saddamn from power, I am frankly as much opposed to trying to build Iraq the Model when it clearly cant and wont happen as I am with Obama’s attempts to stabilize Libya. I do beleive it shows the terrible irony of it-look at how continental Europe went from nonstop protesting and bitching about Bush’s adventure in iraq to pressuring Obama to actively fight in Libya, doing a 180 the second their own oil was in danger (no blood for oil ? get real ! ) But what we need now is a policy where we have as little to do with the Arab and Islamic world as possible. So while I would naturally find it wrong and reprehensible to be nuking and invading and bombinb random Islamic nations on pure whim, I also believe it is frankly time to be keeping ties ti that part of the world at an absolute minumum. That means keeping trade, political ties anbd immigration from these nations as low as possible and NO MORE interferring with their civil and territorial war;
I would not discount the potential for government forces to destroy a lot of the oil/gas infrastructure if they (lead by Gaddafi) feel the end point has been reached. Things remain... fluid.
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