[Below the Gnat Line] Libya, Schmibya!

Below The Gnat Line ^ | March 26, 2011 | Ken Carroll

[deaconjim]

Like most people, I've followed the Libya situation, but I have a problem. I've resisted analyzing the situation, and that's what I do. So when I began to get emails asking why I had not written on Libya. my initial reaction was . . . unprintable.

The reason I haven't written about Libya is that there are few facts, a lot of conjecture and an administration that can't explain what it's doing because it doesn't know. Before you accuse me of Obama Bashing, I will remind you that there have been so many contradictory explanations from the White House that there must be a super-secret "Confusion Machine" in the Oval Office programmed by the most convoluted, twisted minds in existence: lawyers.

Now the press is asking if there is (cue trumpet fanfare) an Obama Doctrine. This I can answer: No. There is no Obama Doctrine. If Vegas were giving odds on the existence of an Obama Doctrine, the odds in favor would be lower than the chances of seeing The Great Pumpkin pulled by harnessed West Texas Jackalopes hopping down New York's Fifth Avenue in the parade celebrating the selection of Joe Biden as the world's smartest man and most eloquent speaker. The only odds lower than the existence of an Obama Doctrine are the odds that Barry Bonds did not know he was a human steroid receptacle.

[deaconjim]

This is probably the best analysis of our actions in Libya that I've seen anywhere.

[devolve]

[Bean Counter]

Good read.

I compare the current operation to Operation Just Cause where we invaded Panama and deposed Manuel Noriega.

Whether you liked the Panama invasion or not, it was completely successful with a minimum of casualties. The goal from the beginning was to remove Noriega, because doing anything less left a distinct threat to the Panama Canal in place, and that was not in the interests of the United States.

In Panama we did it right. We could have done the same thing in Libya, and a case could be made that security in Northern Africa is in our National Interests, but that has not and will not be done by this Regime because they are incapable of doing so due to their own utter incompetence.

I believe that the entire Middle East is on fire right now directly as a result of Premier Hussein abrogating the Leadership role the United States has enjoyed since the end of World War II. The way things are going, we’ll be lucky indeed if Husseing doesn’t bring on WWIII before we can get him out of there.

We are seeing the result of allowing the inmates to run the asylum and it should be no surprise that monkey flinging poo would be easier to clean up than Libya will once Premier Hussein is done with it.

[KeyLargo]

Obama: No U.S. Forces on the Ground in Libya . . . Except for Those Guys.
By Jim Geraghty
Posted on March 23, 2011 3:46 PM

NPR: “President Obama said Wednesday it was ‘absolutely’ out of the question that U.S. ground forces would be used in Libya.”

How would the president describe the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit? There is no such thing as a purely air-based combat mission; planes have problems and pilots end up on the ground, and then U.S. forces have to end up on the ground, hopefully briefly, to rescue them and bring them home safely. Ask Scott O’Grady how much time you can spend on the ground while patrolling a no-fly zone.

Details on the recent rescue:

The Kearsarge then sent up two MV-22 Ospreys carrying Marine rescue teams. As they were en route, the Harriers dropped two laser-guided bombs near the crash site, apparently to keep Libyans on the ground from approaching the pilot.

With additional helicopters hovering overhead for security, one of the Ospreys landed and picked up the pilot. He was then taken aboard the Kearsarge.

The weapons systems officer was recovered by what U.S. officials described as Libyan opposition forces. He is safe, officials have said.

There are about 2,200 Marines off the shore of Libya right now. http://www.nationalreview.com/blogs/print/262910

March 24, 2011

Are U.S. Troops Already on the Ground in Libya? | O’Reilly Factor

Special Guests | Col. David Hunt & Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer

RET. COL. DAVID HUNT, U.S. ARMY: Yes, absolutely. You’ve got British service been in there about three weeks ago and actually got captured and released. The French GIGN have been in there and our special forces and our U.S. intelligence operatives and their assets. We do not conduct operations like this, large scale air operations, without people on the ground. They have been very successful, very good, not a lot of contact with the rebels because you don’t know who to talk to. But, yes, we have got intel gathering and rescue guys and special operations guys on the ground, have had them for about 12 days.

O’REILLY: Now, do you agree with that, Col. Shaffer?

LT. COL. TONY SHAFFER, FORMER ARMY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: Yes, I have heard from my sources — I got a call from one of my key sources on Monday and that’s exactly what’s going on. Let’s be really clear here. You have got to have these individuals doing what Dave just said, especially when you are talking about trying to protect, and the stated goal here, Bill, is humanitarian support. So you don’t want to have weapons hitting the wrong targets. So, Dave is very good on the fact that we have special operations guys sitting there with laser designators. Bill, you saw…

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/transcript/are-us-troops-already-ground-libya#ixzz1HiPalxMr