NATO first to blink in Libya (or how NATO allies will leave General Obama holding the bag)

Yahoo News ^ | 6/6/2011

[chuckee]

Reflecting frustration at NATO's inability to achieve quick results in a campaign some had forecast would be over in days or weeks, the U.S. defense secretary rounded on European allies last week for failing to back the mission the alliance took over in late March.

"The mightiest military alliance in history is only 11 weeks into an operation against a poorly armed regime in a sparsely populated country," Robert Gates said, "yet many allies are beginning to run short of munitions, requiring the U.S., once more, to make up the difference."

Now it's not only bombs, but the planes to deliver them that NATO risks running short of, with no sign of any new commitments to sustain the mission despite dire warnings from Gates about the very future of NATO and direct appeals to defense ministers from alliance Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

While Rasmussen has expressed his hope that the Libya mission can be concluded before the end of a second 90-day operations cycle in late September, many analysts consider this wishful thinking, given Gaddafi's resilience.

A mission that drags on beyond that date could present major problems, with some allies already stretched in their commitment and the United States reluctant to get dragged back into a leading role in the conflict as President Barack Obama faces criticism for the mission in the U.S. Congress.

Only eight of the 28 NATO states have provided planes for strike missions in Libya and pressure by Gates on others with available resources to do so, such as Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey and Germany, appear to have fallen on deaf ears.....

[jongaltsr]

Nearly all of us here on FR called this monstrosity a giant cluster f**k from the very beginning. Now we’re being vindicated.
Europe (and others) love "Cluster F**ks".
Do as I do with dogs when they F++k. Turn the hose on them.

[jongaltsr]

They need to learn to stand on their own and they will only do that when we cut them off. Unfortunately, they won’t take military capability seriously until someone (probably some Muslim f**ks), starts to kill and brutalize them in spectacular fashion.
Just like the Jews during WWII. The did everything they were told. They died. The few who did see the future and escaped lived. Now most of them went to Israel and those are some might tough fighters.

[Sarajevo]

Of course they would naturally want someone else to provide protection for them, they are natural-born free-riders.

Uh-huh.....British Empire, Colonial Africa, Nazi's throughout Europe. Free-riders, eh?

[Elendur]

i totally agree, except i’d add Canada.

since Harper came in, they’ve been solid, and are actually giving Israel more diplomatic support than we are.

[mas cerveza por favor]

"The mightiest military alliance in history is only 11 weeks into an operation against a poorly armed regime in a sparsely populated country," Robert Gates said, "yet many allies are beginning to run short of munitions, requiring the U.S., once more, to make up the difference."

Don't let those Euro-weenies kick you around anymore, Gates. Just resign.

[willibeaux]

Well put!

[Vendome]

Just another BS war France tricked us into so they could back out and we be their proxy.

Only an idiot with the intellectual grasp of a newborn would fall for this trick.

Now he will slowly escalate and then leave it for the next administration.

[WMarshal]

I counter your examples with the argument that they either occurred well before socialism or before the rot from socialism had set in.