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I think we're about to declare war on Libya

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30ashopper

30ashopper

SoWal Insider
France believes there is enough support at the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution on Libya on Thursday and military intervention could take place within hours of that, senior French diplomatic sources said.

Any action could include France, Britain, possibly the United States and one or more Arab states, the source said.

"It would be surprising if there was a veto from one of the permanent members. We are convinced we have the nine votes," one source told reporters. "Once the resolution is voted, an operation could start within several hours."
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France sees U.N. resolution on Libya and rapid action | Reuters

Um, ..
 
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I know, but seriously, this is going to happen. We're now supporting it at the UN.

Doesn't something like this take an act of Congress?
 
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking during a visit to Tunisia, said that a no-fly zone would ?require certain actions taken to protect the planes and the pilots, including bombing targets like the Libyan defense systems.?

A French foreign ministry official said France and Britain, with cooperation from one or two Arab countries, would be prepared to start carrying out a resolution as soon as it was approved, within a matter of hours. NATO planners this week presented alliance political leaders with final plans for various military options in Libya.

The United States has five warships off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean, and it was unclear what role, if any, U.S. forces would play in any initial enforcement actions. The French official, who spoke anonymously under conditions laid out by the foreign ministry, said Britain and France were prepared to act without U.S. direct participation, or with a limited U.S. role.

Italy last week told NATO that its land bases could be used for enforcement of a no-fly zone.

Although NATO has been planning for possible action in Libya as a group, the resolution authorizes action by U.N. members ?acting nationally or through regional organizations,? and France has said its air forces would be ready to commence operations ? most likely targeting runways and air defenses ? as early as Thursday evening. Britain has also expressed interest, but has made no official statement.

A senior NATO official expressed some consternation at France?s eagerness, and said French forces were unlikely to take full-scale action until at least Saturday. ?On the NATO side,? the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, ?we?re not yet ready? and the alliance has not formally approved plans for a specific operation. But ?we could move within days,? he said.

Although the Pentagon has participated in NATO planning, the U.S. military has not yet made final decisions nor has the White House approved any specific American actions. ?I don?t think we?re there yet,? a U.S. official said, noting that the United States can ?do things the French can?t,? including the use of B-2 bombers and cruise missiles.
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Europeans say intervention in Libya possible within hours of U.N. vote - The Washington Post

Call your congressman, call your senator..
 
Breaking news

U.N. Security Council approves measures including no-fly zone to try to halt Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's advances.

I think France and Britain should handle this one for a while.
 
A little more info...

On a 10 to 0 vote with five abstentions, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the international community to take ?all necessary measures? to protect civilians in Libya.The resolution demands an ?immediate cease-fire in Libya, the complete end of violence and all attacks against and abuse of civilians,? and unspecified action to protect ?civilians and civilian population areas under threat of attack." It also establishes a ban on all flights in the airspace of Libya except for humanitarian and evacuation flights.
 
The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committeeargued against implementing a no-fly zone over Libya on Thursday, and also saidthat Congress must pass a formal declaration of war if the Obama administrationdecides to take that step.

"Clearly, the United States shouldbe engaged with allies on how to oppose the Qaddafi regime and support the aspirationsof the Libyan people," said Sen. RichardLugar (R-IN) at the start of the committee's Thursday morning hearing onthe Middle East. "But given the costs of a no-flyzone, the risks that our involvement would escalate, the uncertain reception inthe Arab street of any American intervention in an Arab country, the potentialfor civilian deaths, the unpredictability of the endgame in a civil war, thestrains on our military, and other factors, I am doubtful that U.S. interestswould be served by imposing a no-fly zone over Libya."

Lugar pointed to the fact that145,000 American troops are currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, andthat the annual U.S. budget deficit is already around $1.5 trillion.

"In this broad context, if the Obamaadministration decides to impose a no-fly zone or take other significantmilitary action in Libya, I believe it should first seek a Congressional debateon a declaration of war under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution," Lugarsaid.

Lugar's stance against imposing a no-flyzone puts him at odds with committee chairman John Kerry (D-MA), who supports the move. Kerry didn't mention theno-fly zone in his opening remarks on Thursday. However, he did say that "Thewill of the Libyan people will in my judgment prevail," contradicting lastweek's testimony by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who predicted that Qaddafi would win out.

Kerryalso argued that America's reliance on foreign oil had led to a misguidedforeign policy in the Middle East.
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Lugar: No-fly zone requires declaration of war - By Josh Rogin | The Cable

Anti-war republicans and war mongering democrats. My head is spinning.
 
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