Posted on 03/31/2011 12:56:24 PM PDT by maggief
At a morning hearing of the the House Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told members that political turbulence in the Middle East and Northern Africa holds "peril and promise" for the U.S.
(snip)
But Gates and Mullen were, perhaps unintentionally, was far less reassuring when pressed to answer questions about just who the U.S. is "aiding and abetting" in Libya, as GOP Rep. Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland phrased it.
They provided a stark and troubling view of the state of the rebel uprising, and the uncertainly of what could happen if Gadhafi is driven out or killed.
The opposition movement, Gates said, is disparate, scattered, with a handful of leaders with their own agenda.
"It's pretty much a pick-up ballgame," he said, with no "command and control."
Gates, later pressed Republican Rep. Todd Young of Indiana about whether the leadership vacuum could be exploited by terrorist groups including al-Qaida or Hezbollah, said it's "highly unlikely."
"I'm no great expert on Libya," he said, but predicted that the future government there, if Gadhafi leaves or is removed, will be worked out among the country's many and powerful tribes.
(snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
Our CIC is an ignoramous.
Did you stay at Holiday Inn Express last night?
Um, not at all ...
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/03/u-s-gunships-will-be-on-standby-in-natos-libya-war/
U.S. Gunships Will Be ‘on Standby’ in NATO’s Libya War
By Spencer Ackerman Email Author
March 31, 2011 |
3:53 pm
Most legislators are relieved — if skeptical — to hear that U.S. planes and ships will pull back from strike missions in Libya. Sen. John McCain is appalled. And he got Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen to put a caveat on their pledge that the U.S. will stop its “offensive operations” under the new NATO command.
McCain was practically livid during a Thursday afternoon hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. With the Libyan rebels getting routed on the ground, “your timing is exquisite,” McCain sarcastically lectured Gates and Mullen. “I’m glad to know that small arms will be effective for them.”
(snip)
Well, that kind of describes the way his boss is conducting the response of the United States, so there's a kind of symmetry there.
Obie has constructed his very own “Bay of Pigs” moment...
If Defense Secretary Gates was a true, patriotic American, he would resign immediately!!! Obama is out to destroy the United States of America, period. Any sane American can clearly see that. End of story!!!
“Worked out among the many tribes”.
WTF? They gonna pull straws? A camel jousting match? This guy is a danger to the world, not just the US anymore.
And we are contemplating arming them??
Pray for our troops!!!!
It gets worse ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/world/africa/01civilians.html?_r=1&src=twrhp
“We’ve been conveying a message to the rebels that we will be compelled to defend civilians, whether pro-Qaddafi or pro-opposition,” said a senior Obama administration official. “We are working very hard behind the scenes with the rebels so we don’t confront a situation where we face a decision to strike the rebels to defend civilians.”
Thought Gates was going to retire this year. So what’s with the hold up?
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