My thoughts of America’s role in Libya

Listening to what the president is quoted as saying in an article written by Laura Rozen titled Obama outlines limited U.S. role in Libya intervention, suggests to me what the intended role America will have in Libya and it does not mean the use of troops or boots on the ground.

It is reported that President Obama said "In this effort, the United States is prepared to act as part of an international coalition," Obama said. "American leadership is essential, but that does not mean acting alone -- it means shaping the conditions for the international community to act together."  "We will provide the unique capabilities that we can bring to bear to stop the violence against civilians, including enabling our European allies and Arab partners to effectively enforce a no-fly zone," Obama said.”  What that means to me is for those closest to Moammar Gadhafi may want to quickly distance themselves because the drones are coming.  I was also very pleased to see, in this article, that the president conferred with congress before making his statement reporting “Obama told Congressional leaders that "he had not authorized troops on the ground or airplanes," a staffer to one of the Congress members briefed Friday said on condition of anonymity. "He stressed the U.S. is diplomatically supporting the no-fly zone, not the enforcement itself."  The article also mentioned that a  “meeting came after a key GOP ally, ranking Senate Foreign Relations Committee vice chairman Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), objected to the administration deploying U.S. military personnel or assets for the Libya intervention without first coming to Congress to get a declaration of war. Lugar also wanted the administration to explain how the Libya mission would be paid for.”  This was addressed in the President’s statement when he mentioned not putting boots on the ground and insuring that America will not be on the hook for paying for it.

With American satellite surveillance, the drone program, smart bombs and great intelligence, there is really no reason to put boots on the ground.  America may just spot the targets and make it safe for British and French planes to make the run.  With the number of aircraft carriers, America could park them off the shores of Libya and allow UN allied forces planes to park, fuel, re-arm and launch much closer than many airstrips cutting the amount of time from target to target.  In answering to another fear expressed by those in the media thinking that Gadhafi would allow civilians to leave peacefully while going after the rebels.  To make this a mute plan, all that the rebels have to do is abandon their arms, and return to peaceful demonstrations.  They will then embrace all of the protection afforded them by the UN resolutions without having to fear mass killings by Gadhafi’s forces.