Turkish citizens leave a ferry after arriving from Libya at the port of Marmaris early on Thursday.
Posted on 02/24/2011 3:24:21 PM PST by Hojczyk
Right now, in Libya, there are hundreds of Americans waiting for evacuation … by ferry.
Seriously. The State Department has chartered a ferry to take the hundreds of waiting Americans to Malta. But rough seas have delayed the ferry’s departure until Friday.
So where is our military and why aren’t they involved in the evacuation of Americans threatened by the violence in Libya?
Well there’s actually a simple answer to that:
So far the State Department has not requested the U.S. military to assist in the evacuation of civilians from Libya, something it would specifically have to request. Several U.S. officials have confirmed to CNN there is a vigorous debate inside the administration about whether to involve the military because of concern it could cause further provocations by the Libyan regime.
Ah … fear and intimidation. Assume the worst and … do nothing. And when I say nothing, I mean “nothing”. Per POLITICO’s Morning Defense newsletter:
THERE IS NO U.S. MILITARY ROLE IN LIBYA FOR NOW, officials across Washington said Wednesday. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley didn’t explicitly reject calls by McCain, Lieberman and others for a no-fly zone above the country, but that seemed unlikely for the present. Gates told The Weekly Standard the U.S. hasn’t talked with NATO about doing anything. Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan told reporters Wednesday the Pentagon had received no requests to stand up a no-fly zone or use its ships or aircraft to help evacuate Americans.
Nothing. That’s not to say that the military isn’t trying to at least be prepared should someone decide to call them and ask that they help look out for the safety and security of Americans in an apparent war zone:
In the first indication the crisis with Libya could take on a military dimension, the Pentagon is looking at “all options” it can offer President Barack Obama in dealing with the Libyan crisis a senior U.S. military official tells CNN.
The official declined to be identified because of the extremely sensitive nature of the situation but he has direct knowledge of the current military planning effort.
“Our job is to give options from the military side and that is what we are thinking about now,” he said. “We will provide the president with options should he need them.”
While all true, we’re in the 10th day of this blowup … 10th day! And apparently the military, on its own initiative, is trying to provide options to the national governing authority that it has just as apparently not requested. Notice the wording in the very last sentence above. “Will provide” and “should he need them”. That says to me he hasn’t requested them and the military is trying to get ahead of the game without any guidance.
It took the President 9 days to speak out about the situation there and then his remarks were anything but forceful. Even Chris Matthews found them wanting saying they “lacked dignity”. Essentially we got the “unacceptable” line and a promise to send the Secretary of State to … Geneva? Well yes, that’s where she’ll repeat how “unacceptable” all of this is – in 5 days from now, of course.
So in sum, we find out that our government has no plans, other than a ferry – which I’m sure isn’t big enough to carry the full number of Americans from Libya who might need to be evacuated, but, because of violence, haven’t been able to make it to that particular evacuation point – to evacuate the thousands of American citizens there. No military plan. No orders to ships such as the Kearsarge group (which is the closest) or the Enterprise group off Pakistan to redeploy to the coast of Libya to aid in the evacuation of Americans.
No.
As POLITICO’s Morning Defense reminds us: The Navy and Marines evacuated some 15,000 Americans from Lebanon in 2006, but that was a major undertaking that required several ships.
Well, yes, of course … and we should have had “several ships” moving toward Libya 10 days ago when this thing blew up — that’s what a prudent administration concerned with its citizens abroad would have done in order to try to ensure that the lives of those citizens in Libya were protected.
Instead, 11 days later those citizens get … a ferry?
We’ve been neutered, then gutted by the Lib Progressives.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing and hearing.
Even by 0bama standards, this has our pants way down.
No really. Mayor Nagin could have done better.
Don’t expect any action today, big party celebrating Motown at the WH tonight.
A carrier could ferry a whole lotta people at once heh.
And yes, everyday with 0 and this bunch of tools makes the U.S.A. look like the u.s.a. to the world.
Turkish citizens leave a ferry after arriving from Libya at the port of Marmaris early on Thursday.
“We’ve been neutered, then gutted by the Lib Progressives.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing and hearing.”
They are the ‘useful idiots’ that have been used to take us down, along with a lot of idiots on our side.
We have a carrier group we sent from the Med through the Suez canal LAST week. Obama is putting American lives in danger here. If Bush or EVEN Clinton were POTUS, we would have a carrier strike force off Libya NOW and be enforcing a no fly zone to Libyan civilians.
When you combine this LACK of action with Barry’s refusal to condemn Qadhafi, something fishy is certainly going on. If American lives are lost as a result of the POTUS refusal to act as CINC of the armed forces, impeachment is certainly possible.
Decisive action would probably give 0bama’s popularity a brief hike here at home. He won’t even do it for that? (He’s no Bill Clinton, is he.)
You’re doing a great job Brownie. Not.
Gee, I wonder how many boys and girls watching this want to grow up and be in “public service” working for the illustrious State Department?/s
http://www.timesofmalta.com/
The Libyan government has formally requested the return of two Mirage F1 fighter jets flown to Malta by defecting pilots on Monday.
The aircraft are under armed guard at the airport. The pilots have requested political asylum and their case is being considered. The pilots claimed they flew to Malta after being ordered to bomb fellow Libyans in Benghazi.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said there has been no contact with the Libyan government on the fighter aircraft.
Park the military vessels offshore, past Libyan territorial limits. Pay some fishing boats to ferry people out to the waiting ships. Use zodiac boats to move people from the fishing boats to the vessels so potential terrorists don't get too close.
I’m still PO’ed about the total lack of action against the Somali pirates who murdered four Americans last week. Somalia should be a smoking hole in the ground by now. Libya ditto if our citizens are harmed.
Two hundred years ago we built a Navy for the express purpose of blowing Muslim pirates in North Africa to kingdom come. Now we have a Muslim pirate in the White House.
2 more years of this crap hole government and we will not be concerned with the third world... We will be busy shooting each other in the streets.
Barry has no interest in this until an outcome...he will then take credit and the mainstream media and libs will fall to his feet. After all, why bug a guy who has to host another party at the WH?
Instead, 11 days later those citizens get … a ferry?
Those citizens wanted hope & change.
This is it.
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