President Obama’s claims that the United States is not engaged in hostilities against Libya are centered around the premise that they are purely providing “support” for the British and French attacks, and that as such they are not a direct combatant.
This claim is entirely untrue, however, as a spokeswoman for US African Command (AFRICOM) confirmed today. Rather, the US has flown 801 attack sorties, and actually dropped bombs on Libya in 132 cases after the president claimed the support role began.
Of course it was widely known that the US was still launching some strikes against Libya, particularly as war enthusiasts railed at an authorization bill that failed to provide a special exemption to allow “defensive” strikes. But the revelation shows those strikes went beyond defense for their support mission and into proactive sorties of their own.
The US launched attacks on Libya on March 19, but claimed as of March 31 to have transitioned into a “support” role for it as a NATO war, providing surveillance and refueling for the conflict. It was this claim, more than anything else, which has been the basis for the president to claim he didn’t need a Congressional authorization to continue the war. What happens now that this claim is revealed as faulty is anyone’s guess, but with a July defunding looming in the House, the president will need new excuses.
war crimes
Who' the source for these stories making their
way around the net, and how come there are
so very many, many of them citing the same,
anonymous officer from AFRICOM?
Who's saying all this and how come the net
is clogged with this same-same story?
Jason, remember that this is not a war; it's a "kenetic military activity." BIG difference!
And all those bombs dropped from American planes "supporting" NATO? Why, they're smart bombs. They are so smart that they can distinguish between Quaddafi and rebel forces. Women and children are never harmed, because that would conflict with our reason for intervening in the first place.
To suggest otherwise would call into question the wisdom of our wise and wonderful leader, Obama the Magnificent. Others may even wonder if our Nobel Laureate is a raging hypocrite, and we can't have that, can we?
Please. No more lame devil's advocate comments. People are being massacred and we need solutions. Devil's advocate statements have no comic or informative value.