Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has once again sparked Congressional outrage today when, during testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, he predicted that the Gadhafi regime would ultimately reconquer Libya in the absence of (a presumably US-led) military invasion.
Senators were quick to condemn the prediction, saying it damaged efforts to oust Gadhafi. It seemed his prediction was aimed mostly at giving the US an excuse to “save” the rebels, despite repeated comments from the rebels opposing a foreign occupation.
The White House was quick to defend Clapper’s prediction, saying it was purely on the basis of the actual military force of both sides, and did not take into account the foreign intervention. NSA Thomas Donilon, added that once the intervention was taken into account, Gadhafi would surely lose.
Clapper has gained a growing amount of scorn in recent comments which ran afoul of the prevailing narrative, and once again today sparked anger, both for his Libya comments and for answering a question about the “biggest threat” to the US (hint: officials wanted him to say Iran) by answering Russia and China were the biggest threats. A number of senators have called for his immediate ouster for his inability to stay on message.
Let's see intervention in Gaza as Israel continues its 60Y illegal and belligerent occupation of Palestine in violation of numerous UN resolution. The fredom fighters in Gaza would wish for a
fraction of the weapons the West has been providing the Libyan rebels.
Lets see if intervention will stops Israel trial by missiles and carpet bombing of the corralled citizens with cluster bombs wp and dm. Stupid Old White men and their hypocrisy will lead to our ruination.
Stupid RICH men you mean.
No US politician, not even Obama, wants Gadaffi to fall, because if Libya falls, the Saudi’s are next. That’s why Obama doesn’t even have the guts France has shown in backing the freedom fighters, and why his chief of intelligence predicts the rebels will fail even while they still hold the entire eastern half of the Libya. Arab freedom is bad business for American gasoline prices and for Israel. They prefer the dictators. Interesting to note McCain isn't saying much to support the Arab freedom fighters. It's because he wants Gadaffi to win.
Call a Spade – a spade and this is what happens.
Nobody wants to know the truth because they CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
But who can say what really is the truth?
Remember Iraq – when the intelligence community was politicized. The non-existent Weapons of Mass Destruction? Heavy artillery and Tanks, and Lying media wins over small weapons, and a small amount of deserter soldiers. Clapper is right. It is a real intelligence analysis.
Get Scott Horton to ask the former CIA professionals their opinions. The rebels will seek covert or non-covert aid. The French Supplied Chad against Libya – Look for France and the British to be the real players, if they have the money.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadian%E2%80%93Liby…
The US is too burnt or full with Iraq and Afghanistan. The US is too broke.
"A number of senators have called for his immediate ouster for his inability to stay on message." Yes, in a society based on SPIN, SPIN becomes a necessity and obsession, completely as nutty as any religious madness. People should at least demand and get enforced, that congressmen must be dressed as black spiders.. Not the eagle, but the black widow or the scorpion is fitting as the national symbol of the USA.
Like reality is not static anyway. I would worry about a dirty bomb from Pakistan if I were an American. considering the indiscriminate bombing going on with the drones. And now that we have idiot Conservatives from the West backed with tarsands money the Great White North-formerly known as Canada barely exists any more physically and intellect left the station a long time ago.
RR
Who are the senators wanting to oust Clapper?
Then the rebels need to try harder and gain more support within their own country. I am not a fan of Gaddafi but does anyone know a damn thing about any of these violent "rebels" that we're supposed to be supporting? Who are these people?
And what is "winning", are they all going to stop fighting and give up when they see that OCD Americans aren't paying attention anymore? Good thing it's only like the top 13 or so on American Idol, better hurry up! A country might take longer than a few weeks to ditch the yoke of oppression, that is way too long for impatient American do-goodness bombers.
That's right you don't know anything about it. Go to the Al Jazeera blog, start reading on day one and you'll understand. These (as you describe them) "rebels" are peaceful protesters who were viciously attacked and cut down with machine guns, grenades, tanks and were bombarded with fighter jets. They had not choice but to fight back. In the process, they overran the army – most of whom defected and joined the protesters – who in turn took over the garrisons and weapon depots left behind by the army. Qaddafi, the monster you are not "a big fan of" hired mercenaries (he is paying them as much as $20,000) to come and slaughter his own people in the most gruesome of ways.
Again, please, before you issue an opinion, educate yourself. This is a very delicate matter and everything hangs in the balance for the brave people of Libya. Al Jazeera has all the information you need.
My point is that not only is it none of our business what's happening over there but if you think the rebels are nothing but "Peaceful Protesters" fighting against the regime then I would say you're naive. How are they holding their ground? Love and kisses? Oh, that's right, you said yourself these "peaceful protesters" took over weapons depots and armed themselves, how peaceful of them. Did Gandhi teach them that?
BTW, did you drink the Kosovo Kool Aid too? For all you know the individuals raiding those weapons depots could be criminals and gangsters and probably are, because they're good with violence and always rise to leadership positions in these situations. I'll read Al Jazeera, you can read Chris Hedges.
Sorry to hear that you can't read and you also can't see. Had you gone on Al Jazeera, either the stream video or the blog you would know that. Instead, you keep coming back, repeating buzz words, you're beginning to sound more and more like an Israeli troll. Go learn something, then come back. Till then, keep your ignorance to yourself. I don't need it.
What buzzwords? nice vague post with zero details there, seen or read what exactly on Al Jazeera? Read about your "Peaceful Protesters" brandishing machine guns and other weapons that they looted from barracks?
An "Israeli troll"? Why does it always come down to Israel? You know, it makes me think that the hasbara brigade is right about the "anti-Zionists" that always have to involve Israel in everything. And it's funny you would call me "An Israeli troll" when you sound no different than a neocon at the FPI with your tearjerking interventionist shtick. Why don't you go sign up and volunteer to work for the FPI since you so passionately share their crusader spirit?
Since you can read so well, what makes your position different from the Israel-first neocons at the FPI again? Your sincerity and altruism? Please. How about nothing? You want to whine that I'm an Israel troll and you're here preaching the same policy as neocon central, how funny. just another do-gooder crusader that thinks it lives above the fray and has the power to choose who lives and who dies. Go find something else to be proud of besides encouraging the Government to bomb foreigners since it always ends up bad for their health (i.e. they end up dead and you end up sincerely sorry, so they balance out).
Neocon FPI Release urging the same things you do.
Must be feel good agreeing with the neocons, they're altruist humanitarian do-gooders too, ya know? Just like you!
And I can read, so why don't you prove your claim that these armed protesters are "peaceful"? Or should I just take your word for it? Better yet, why don't you try making an argument for intervention that doesn't rely on a pathetic and sappy appeal to emotion? And what elements of society do you think bubble to the surface during violent internal conflict, the do-gooding, well-intention peaceful altruists that you are cooing about? Yeah, right. They end up dead.
You want to throw your lot behind violent strangers you know absolutely nothing about, using your "moral compass" to guide you. And then you'll be shocked when the results of the policies you recommend leads to mass-murder, but nothing will be on you because your "Here I come to save the day" Mighty Mouse crusader motives were sincere and pure and stuff.
And to contrast the FPI piece, here is an opinion piece wrt Intervention in *gasp* Al Jazeera… linked by antiwar.com
Kicking the intervention habit
It is possible that the powers that be might just leave this mess to resolve itself because if Gaddafi goes, thousands of Arabs and Africans will be heading to Europe and that is something they do not want. If Gaddafi is smart and he wins this thing he should implement effective reforms because the next time he will be taken out for certain if it should come to that.
The US and Europeans are putting on a front. They prefer Gaddafi because even if the rebels,whomsoever they are,win this thing, the Islamists will work their way up to the top and radicalize everything.
The only "reform" he is going to implement is the slaughter of every single young man that participated in the uprising along with his entire family. You can't expect a wolf to eat red meat all his life and then "reform" and start to eat veggies.
They have no right to head to Europe.
In today’s WaPo, Stephen Rademaker makes the case that the Obama Administration blundered by (1) endorsing a UN arms embargo that applies to the rebels as well as Gaddafi, locking in the latter’s military advantage and (2) authorizing the International Criminal Court to try Gaddfi for war crimes, backing him into a no-surrender corner. These may not be mistakes at all, especially if the clever Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is responsible. They may be intentionally aimed at creating circumstances where military intervention to rescue to the rebellion becomes (arguably) necessary. The maneuvers to bring about yet another interventionist war may be beyond the merely verbal.
I just read an article every country we screw up never gets its oil production back up to speed. Libya will be another. Listen the monied class will have you fight a hundred year war if they can get you to do it. I don't understand people aren't being drafted but are going to fight over there? The real enemy is at home hate to say it. Follow that money!
RR
Ghadaffi raised the living standards for Libyian people when he first took over. Then the US dropped a bomb down his chimney to make him more compliant and to privatize the oil wells so the people ended up getting screwed. So the people that did that to you are going to make things better for you now? Anyone who asks NATO to come into their country is not thinking properly. Look what NATO has done in Afghanistan and Iraq. Look what they are doing in Pakistan. The last people I would let into the country is that bunch. NATO needs to be disolved-It is nothing but the arm of Western Imperialism and as cliche as that sounds it doesn't make it any less true. Throw the entire ruling class out and nationalize your oil-maybe people might feel like joining you then. If you let NATO in they will be there for the next 100 years and you will be fighting for the next hundred years. Or you can threaten the oil wells that will get them in real quick. As it is, I think those who are calling for NATO are either plants or over influenced by the West in some fashion. Some one said Libya was ahead of Iran on the list of takeovers about six months ago…I will try to find the material.
Don't kid yourself, Qaddafi has always been a psychopath. The US didn't do that to him. Ask his people and they'll tell you that.
btw how do you spell Gadhafi anyway?
Cheers,
RR
Did they have boxcutters too?
RR
Gadhafi wins: thousands are massacred in reprisals and Europe is flooded with a refugee crisis on monstrous proprtions. Special Added Bonus: The US gets to be the villain for not supporting democracy.
Gadhafi loses: thousands of mercenaries are killed in reprisals or are jailed indefinitely for obvious reasons, the West gets to hit the reset button and start fresh with the new Libyan leadership. Special Added Bonus: Other Middle Eastern populations smell blood in the water and they want freedom from the yoke of their West-installed and supported dictators- the dominoes begin to fall even faster.
Except for one thing, there's no such scenario in which the US intervenes and things work out well for the people of that country. There hasn't been one instance yet where a US intervention has worked favorably for anybody but the US.
But if America stays out of it, no American blood or money is spent.
How many internet personas do you have? You can repeat word "torture", and "everyday" all you like. People have become immune to the corporate interventionism for fun and profit, while sinking americans deeper in debt. In Libya, let the things take their natural course. Even if Ghadaffi wins today, the future of his regime is sealed. It is just a question of time. RESIST THE URGE TO SURGE. Let Europeans get entangled, crash and burn. Their itch cannot be cured by US stepping into every mess in order to keep their colonian juices under control. Let's for a change just sit back and relax.
Mr. Johan _ Muhammad.., let me ask you a question.., when you use the word democracy.., do you mean the democracy that Islamic Brotherhood wants to bring about in Egypt or Libya.., or the principals in democracy where is respected by Islamic Brotherhood and therefore IB wants to be part of the process.? Yet and beside anything else, Would you please enlighten the word democracy and its relation to religious and its framed social laws regarding woman freedom of choice, by that I don’t mean when a women is elected by an Islamic regime to be a president of a company or in parliament, In US or EU there are many posts occupied by women, yet that doesn’t mean that they get paid as man do.., I mean do she have a freedom to marry a Jewish man or vice a versa without considering the differences in religious. Here a gain, by asking the question I do not support the Israeli apartheid regime.
NATO is a defensive alliance. Libya has attacked no NATO country.
NATO a defensive alliance? ROFL!
he's been in power since 1969 and we have been able to accept that. So what if he stays in power longer. Only Libyans can free themselves.