Senators Push for Major US Role in Post-Gadhafi Libya

'We'll Get Our Money Back,' Sen. Graham Bets

With reports that NATO’s going to stop bombing Libya by the end of the month, a number of US Senators are hoping to get in on the ground floor of open-ended funding for the new regime, something which they’re sure is a good idea.

Sen. John McCain (R – AZ) said the US needed to “deepen our support for the Libyan people” with major funding for the National Transitional Council (NTC), saying the money would let the NTC focus on “strengthening their national unity.”

We’ll get our money back,” insisted Sen. Lindsay Graham (R – SC), who says he’s positive the NTC would eventually reimburse the US for funding them, and that the funding “will allow American business to prosper from a free Libya.”

The US started bombing Libya in March, and while most of Congress expressed concern about the lack of Congressional authorization for the war, Sens. McCain and Graham were both outspoken supporters of the attacks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.