Speaking Sunday on Meet the Press, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates shrugged off the notion that Libya posed any threat to the United States before last weekend’s attack, and confirmed that the war is not a “vital” American interest.
Rather Gates said the US had some interests in the region (notably Egypt) and was concerned that the refugees from Libya might have destabilized Egypt and Tunisia. Large numbers of refugees have fled the nation, and have continued to do so since the US war began.
Gates also confirmed that he still has no idea how long the war will last, and added “I don’t think anybody has any idea.” He insisted, however, that the war “has gone quite well” and that he remains confident about it.
The comments have added to criticisms that the Obama Administration entered the Libya War hastily and with very little consideration about how (or indeed if) it will end. President Obama has been condemned for starting the war during a Congressional recess and without any authorization from Congress.
Interesting that SecDef Bobby would offer up one stinging rebuke to "team Obama" and their foolhardy Libyan campaign of insanity. Of course and it's a given that SecDef Bobby is exiting the building. Bye bye SecDef Bobby. Golly, won't America simply have worlds of confidence in Obama's NEXT nomination for SecDef. Oh yeah, Joe Liberman's nomination will shoot through US Senate like corn through a Christmas goose.
So when does 'WAR-ON-LIBYA' end? As SecDef Bobby says, "I don't think anybody has any idea." Oh yeah, there's a "confidence builder" right there.
Okay, insert here much vulgar cursing and spitting on the floor as, Obama is out his freaking mind and dang, what a BITTER disappointment. Yeah, I voted 4 the Obama and ain't I a dumb-ass!
So Lybia posed no major threat to the United States, and is not a vital interest of the United States, yet the United States government is spending one million dollars plus a day to bomb the crap out of Lybia to protect the lives of the people of Lybia. Further, no one has any idea how long this war will last, or for that matter how much it will cost. This is insantiy! Congress should have meant in an emergency session to defund this war yesterday.
The problem is, they cannot. Foreign policy has been privatized. While there no threat to US and there are no vital interests of the US involved — there are vital interests of many corporations. And specially those POSING as US corporations, so they can get contracts for everything — from misiles to meals-on-wheels — and fatten their profit line. But these corporations are the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, with FAKE IDs, and it does not bother anyone. While the conservatives were thrilled over Citizen United victory in Supreme Court, giving corporations the right of first amendment, that is, the right to buy influence in political process — no conservative is bothered that this right has been given to non-american (and UN-american) entities. All of these FAKE citizens, have a flashy headquarters in US, while having HUNDREDS of off-shore entites, where their TRANSNATIONAL money is hiden and then laundered. My suggestion is to declare them all FOREIGN CORPORATIONS, not allowing them any contracts using public funds, prohibiting them to use money for political influence, and having all of their mergers or acquisitions in US subject to review — process set up for any foreign company. Otherwise, they will run the wars in THEIR interest — period.
Gates, the former CIA hack, is simply employing 'plausible deniability' to cover the actual sinister motives behind their so-called 'humanitarian' efforts.
Wily Roberto in "Talking Sense" Shock Horror!
Gates never wanted to attack Lybia…no major threat and of minimal interest to the USA. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton enjoys using power when not faced with aggressive reaction. That's Hillary. It was Hillary that encouraged the use of bombing (90 days of it) in Serbia. She just lacks depth of thought. She took credit for the bombing. Gates is very smart and took a back seat to the Lybian matter because there is nothing to gain. We have a dunderhead for secretary of state.
No leadership…just always looking out for who is doing what and then seeking to get ahead of them. An honest dunderhead.
More like a well-disciplined neoconservative. Any excuse for military intervention is good enough. For as long as you can have american population accept yet another military excursion into yet another part of the world, this will be done. At time, it took protracted path to occupation, like Iraq. Or a lots of intellectualizing acrobatics and mass hysteria (mass graves, mass rapes, mass anything) — to occupy beachheads in Balkans (Bosnia, Kosovo). Or, a fast one, like Libya. Or the long, boring, never-ending, ever expanding war on Pakistan. Whichever the means, neoconservatives and their corporate backers believe one thing for sure — once pulled in, American population will SUPPORT IT. It will become a question of PRIDE, SUPPORT for OUR BOYS AND GIRLS IN UNIFORM, not being FORCED to CUT and RUN, etc. etc. There is NEVER any intention of coming out. EVER. In whatever shape or form, occupation will continue ad-infinitem. As some troups are "withdrawn" others, and more of them, are put right back. Big new military basis will be built, to the endless happiness of corporations.
Unbelievable really. The only threat I see is the possibility of Europe being swamped with yet more unassimilable Muslim and Subsaharan immigrants. Needless to say our intervention won't go anywhere toward stopping that and our political elites wouldn't even recognize it as a problem.
This not well-thought libyan intervention,supporting militarily one side against another could have destabilizing consequences for the whole Sahara region. The pro-Gadhafi forces will not accept the west hegemony and it will be all Irak again. Africa sees neocolonialism for oil and gas at work. Apparently the Irak and Afghan disasters were not enough.
Since Gates had announced that he plans to retire this year, we may even get a bit of 'thruthiness' out of him as time wears on.
So, if there're no vital interests, what the heck are we doing there? We're getting immune to this business of airstrikes as leisure activity: Korea, Vietnam, M.E.
Just watch those interests in Nowhereville get vital if someone suggests that if we can afford to waste the armed forces on nonvital interests, maybe we don't deserve an armed force & we should dismantle it; leave the fighting to the 2d Amendment harpies & their carry-conceal. I mean, if you can pry 'em outta their easy chairs.
Gates is as guilty as Hillary Clinton and Obama is.., and he knows it.., this war in Libya was made possible by Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice and Power with blessing of Obama in conjunctions with Saudi Arabian, so as Arab emirates and Kuwaitis Tyrants in Middle East.., and off course they brought in Al Qaeda as their last resort.., and these Ladies knows is .., so as Obama… Is vital to US interests because the Libyan government was leading toward a international cooperation with South Americans progressive regimes and EU didn’t like it…, they have a problem with Russia providing their energy therefore the French Gulf Oil company , English BP and Shell Royal Dutch and Norwegian Oil company in cooperation decided to use Muslims Brotherhood and the terrorist group of Al Qaeda to divert the political decisions in Libya and create another war where a Muslims regime who support the Saudis and Kuwaitis and Arab Emirates foreign policies.
He did not start this war, he took part in it..
Besides, you aint blind dumb or deaf, {forgive if you are, but you shouldnt be in this equasion anyway} so you should of spoken soon after the resolution of the UN was passed, so please stfu with the whining already, you shouldnt of sent mercenaries to help him kill his own.
We all no who the whiners are dont we.
I am not def nor blind…, his people and his allied went to UN and asked for the resolution.., that was made after when Hillary Clinton and Gates hade a meetings with Muslims brotherhood in Egypt and Paris.., that happened when Obamas people hade a meeting in Bahrain with Saudis and when they invaded Bahrain.., Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice and Power made their report to him.., which means he Okd it…, that was made possible by the blessing from Saudis, Bahrainis, Kuwaitis and Arab Emirates Tyrants who asked for UN resolution.., these tyrants been in power over 60 years.. Now they call Kaddafi and others a Tyrants.., this has been the US and EU imperialism
gates is a spineless turd covering his ass for future book deals.
He did started the war…, he is not diffrent then what Bush or Clinton was.., I am not def nor blind…, his people and his allied went to UN and asked for the resolution.., that was made after when Hillary Clinton and Gates hade a meetings with Muslims brotherhood in Egypt and Paris.., that happened when Obamas people hade a meeting in Bahrain with Saudis and when they invaded Bahrain.., Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice and Power made their report to him.., which means he Okd it…, that report was made possible by the blessing from Saudis, Bahrainis, Kuwaitis and Arab Emirates Tyrants who asked for UN resolution.., these tyrants been in power over 60 years.., this has been the US and EU imperialism policies and wars in cooperation with those who helping their cause.., this is not about democracy is about the World New order and Muslims Brotherhood, and Al Qaeda has become part of that program. This is about Libyan peoples wealth and they are about to divide that nation just for that reason.., the Libyan peoples wealth. I am not blind nor def…, those whom read between the line or don’t even bother to see are def and blind.., being adolescent some times make you blind or def.., whichever comes first.
Obama did started this war… I highly recomand for you to read the UN artcles 41 -42 and this…,
Use of armed forces; limitations — The President is authorized to negotiate a special agreement or agreements with the Security Council which shall be subject to the "approval of the Congress" by appropriate Act or joint resolution, providing for the numbers and types of armed forces, their degree of readiness and general location, and the nature of facilities and assistance, including rights of passage, to be made available to the Security Council on its call for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security in accordance with article 43 of said Charter.
"" He insisted, however, that the war “has gone quite well” and that he remains confident about it. ""
Sooooo….. in other words, we don't know what we're doing, but we're doing it well. (Note, too that it's being referred to as a 'war'… didn't I read somewhere that Congress has the sole authority to declare war? I'm sure I did, and I'm sure I have yet to hear of such a declaration even being debated.)
If I were one of the military commanders involved in this splendid little diversion, I'd be screaming my head off about it and doing everything I cold to get my men out of there as quickly as possible. "Sorry, we can't fly today- too much maintenance is needed." "Sorry, can't drop this lot of bombs- it hasn't been properly inventoried just yet." "Sorry, my rescue crews are out sick with the flu- can't have flight operations without rescue crews on station, you know."
This is nothing but pure unadulterated insanity on a national level- and we wonder why we are the laughingstock of the world. Sure, we're a dangerous laughingstock, but missiles don't make up for morons.
Reductio ab Absurdum :
Having oil is A Good Thing, so therefore everything we do in aid of securing More Oil cannot be anything but A Good Thing.
More wars