It looks like Sens. McCain and Graham knew even less than they should have or were just looking for a way to fault Obama. See "Libya - Three cheers and a raspberry". And I ignored something I had known but forgotten.
McCain and Graham wanted the "full weight of American airpower", and I assumed any involvement would hinder the Libyan cause. Well, it seems American airpower was used efficiently and without a lot of flash and weight.
"U.S. and NATO officials cited an intensification of U.S. aerial surveillance in and around the capital as a major factor in helping to tilt the balance…" and "… the United States established around-the-clock surveillance over the dwindling areas that Libyan military forces still controlled, using armed Predator drones to detect, track and occasionally fire at those forces." - Eric Schmitt and Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, republished in the Star Tribune, 2011-08-22
Showing posts with label Bengazi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bengazi. Show all posts
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Libya - Three cheers and a raspberry
As I write this, it looks like the revolution in Libya is almost over. May Gaddafi's fall not crush anymore people than have already been crushed by his 41 years of misrule.
The raspberry is for Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham for their statement that included:
"Americans can be proud of the role our country has played in helping to defeat Qaddafi, but we regret that this success was so long in coming due to the failure of the United States to employ the full weight of our airpower."
One: would anymore airpower than was provided by NATO been needed? One more set of airplanes might have made the skies over Libya more crowded and more dangerous for the crews.
Two: have they considered that more U.S. involvement might have given more weight to Gaddafi's claims about "crusaders" and "colonialists". Especially given that the U.S. almost always insists on being the leader of any coalition.
Three: don't they belong to the party that wants to cut the Federal deficit? Bombs cost lots of money. Money we don't seem to have for activities they don't like.
The raspberry is for Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham for their statement that included:
"Americans can be proud of the role our country has played in helping to defeat Qaddafi, but we regret that this success was so long in coming due to the failure of the United States to employ the full weight of our airpower."
One: would anymore airpower than was provided by NATO been needed? One more set of airplanes might have made the skies over Libya more crowded and more dangerous for the crews.
Two: have they considered that more U.S. involvement might have given more weight to Gaddafi's claims about "crusaders" and "colonialists". Especially given that the U.S. almost always insists on being the leader of any coalition.
Three: don't they belong to the party that wants to cut the Federal deficit? Bombs cost lots of money. Money we don't seem to have for activities they don't like.
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