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Subscribe to RSSThe New York Times: “President Obama’s top two national security officials signaled on Thursday that the United States was unlikely to arm the Libyan rebels, raising the possibility that the French alone among the Western allies would provide weapons and training for the poorly organized forces fighting Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s government.”
The Washington Post adds, “The testimony came amid reports that another member of Gaddafi’s inner circle had defected, boosting the spirits of the beleaguered rebels. A top Libyan Foreign Ministry official, Ali Abdel Salam al-Treki, announced his defection in a statement sent to news agencies by his nephew. British Prime Minister David Cameron and White House spokesman Jay Carney on Thursday hailed the earlier defection of Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa, saying it was a sign that Gaddafi’s power was eroding.”
“President Obama on Thursday signed a bill that funds the Federal Aviation Administration re-authorization bill through May, as Congress began debating a longer-term measure that contains controversial amendments,” The Hill reports.
“For years, Richard Nixon’s presidential library was accused of committing another Watergate coverup. But now, archivists say, the stonewalling is over,” AP reports. “The library opened an expanded exhibit yesterday that scholars say provides a more balanced and accurate account of the scandal that brought down a president.”
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The US in unlikely to arm the Libyan opposition forces because they do not know how to use them, they are accustomed to Soviet, Chinese and other country's weapons. The US has not sold weapons of any kind to Libya for decades. It would make no sense to give them what they can't use without a lot of training which would take time. The other coalition members can provide what they know how to use.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you think because it's the US, they only supply US made weapons? umm, no, but good thought out logic there Jody.
Just pointing out what the facts are, 3Wolves. The weapons they have are not U.S. made Other countries can and will likely provide the opposition forces with weapons they can use as noted in the article. Whether or not the US provides monetary assistance is not what the thread was speaking about--it was commenting on the US directly supplying weapons from us to them. Richard Engel and others gave thorough reports on the types of weapons the rebels have and they aren't U.S. Engel also noted that these rebels are untrained and many have trouble using the weapons they have.
Why should the US send arms to Al Quaeda fighters when they would use it against us later. Seems like the US never learns. The Arab uprising will end with the US on the sticky end of the stick as usual.
The US will not give weapons to Libya?!?!?!?! GOOD! That's a bet that I am more then happy to lose...
Now just the other day I thought the media stated Obama was going to arm the Libyan rebels. Today it is the opposite.
Now is the media that incompetent about reporting the news, or is it Obama just did another flip/flop. President Floppsie certainly does have this tendency to change opinion in mid-sentence.
Obama has already signed a document authorizing the delivery of arms to the rebels. What is unlikely about Obama's authorized order. Its all about political posturing in the media indicating that what you don't know will not hurt.
No matter how much the media keeps doing sound offs about the U.S. arming the Rebels won't make it so. Richard Engle the best journalist explained that the Rebels wouldn't know how to use the weapons, it's not a matter of arming them it's a matter of training them to use them. Media listen to Richard Engle he has the most credibility of any journalist today and listening to him give the facts, based on his expertise is awesome. Thanks Richard!
Looks like only time will show us how this debacle will end. One would have thought that after 50 + years the US would have had a consistant foreign policy on the middle east. Why do we keep ignoring them?