The top U.S. admiral involved in the Libya war admitted to a U.S. congressman that NATO forces are trying to kill Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi. The same admiral also said he anticipated the need for ground troops in Libya after Qaddafi falls, according to the lawmaker.

House Armed Services Committee member Mike Turner (R-OH) told The Cable that U.S. Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of the NATO Joint Operations Command in Naples, Italy, told him last month that NATO forces are actively targeting and trying to kill Qaddafi, despite the fact that the Obama administration continues to insist that "regime change" is not the goal and is not authorized by the U.N. mandate authorizing the war.

"The U.N. authorization had three components: blockade, no fly zone, and civil protection. And Admiral Locklear explained that the scope of civil protection was being interpreted to permit the removal of the chain of command of Qaddafi's military, which includes Qaddafi," Turner said. "He said that currently is the mission as NATO has defined."

"I believed that we were [targeting Qaddafi] but that confirmed it," Turner said. "I believe the scope that NATO is pursuing is beyond what is contemplated in civil protection, so they're exceeding the mission."

Later in the same briefing, Turner said, Locklear maintained that the NATO mission does not include regime change. "Well, certainly if you remove Qaddafi it will affect regime change," Turner said that he replied. "[Locklear] did not have an answer to that."

Locklear also said that, upon Qaddafi's removal, ground troops would be needed during the immediate period of instability, Turner said. In fact, Locklear said publicly that a "small force" might be necessary following the collapse of the Qaddafi regime in a May 30 conference in Varna, Bulgaria.

Turner joined hundreds of other lawmakers in voting against authorizing the Libya war on Friday morning. The authorization resolution was defeated 123 to 297. A subsequent vote on a bill to defund the Libya mission also failed 180-238 .

Turner has been opposed to the Libya war from the start and even introduced a resolution opposing the effort. For him, Friday's chaotic Libya debate was a direct result of the administration's neglect and disrespect of Congress throughout the debate over the mission.

"The president hasn't come to Congress and said any of this, and yet Admiral Locklear is pursuing the targeting of Qaddafi's regime, Qaddafi himself, and contemplating ground troops following Qaddafi's removal," Turner said. "They're not being straightforward with Congress... It's outrageous."

Ignoring Congress allowed the administration to ignore the large, looming questions about the Libya war that congressmen are asking -- especially today, as another vote to defund the mission looms before the House next month, when the defense appropriations bill is set to be debated. But if the House does vote to defund the mission, Turner said, Obama will have nobody to blame but himself.

"I believe that this administration has handled this so badly, that if they had come to Congress, I think they would have done more of their homework. They have not done a full assessment of their mission, its scope, or the consequences if they're successful. Congress would have required that," Turner said. "Now it's a little late."

AFP/Getty Images

 

RATIONALREVO

7:10 PM ET

June 24, 2011

Thank goodness...

The idea of engaging in military strikes on Libya but not trying to kill it's dictator was always absurd. I always assumed that Obama was lying when he said that we weren't trying to kill him, and thought that if he wasn't lying then he was an idiot.

 

WHATSUPWITHTHAT

10:47 PM ET

June 24, 2011

Newsflash: you were right

Newsflash: you were right both times.

 

KENTCLIZBE

1:26 AM ET

June 25, 2011

PC-Progressives Love Covert Action--When They're in Power

Obama and his clique love covert action. It allows them to operate in their natural mode--lying.

For a full analysis and explanation of the danger of allowing PC-Progressives the reins of American power, see this article:

http://bigpeace.com/kclizbe/2011/05/16/obama-osama-and-gaddafi-why-barack-obama-loves-covert-ops/

www.kentclizbe.com

 

KYLE_ROGERS

7:26 PM ET

June 24, 2011

Muammar al-Qaddafi is GOOD for Europe

Qaddafi had dramatically reduced the flow of illegal aliens to Southern Europe under a broad agreement with Italy.

This left-wing Obama/Sarkozy war to steal Libyan oil contracts out from underneath the Italians has allowed a massive flood of illegal alien boat people to assault Southern Europe,

http://cofcc.org/

 

KYLE_ROGERS

7:27 PM ET

June 24, 2011

 

JONORTH

8:16 PM ET

June 24, 2011

Unlawful

Our constitution does not allow the president to kill the leader of another country. Obama is so far outside the constitution it's laughable, or would be, if it weren't so disgusting

 

BATFLY

8:46 PM ET

June 24, 2011

outside the constitution

Yeah we know...

So why isn't anything being done about it?

Why should we pay our taxes if the constitution means squat?

 

WHATSUPWITHTHAT

10:51 PM ET

June 24, 2011

Wrong

The Constitution doesn't address that issue at all, even implicitly. The President is totally allowed to kill the leader of another country, once he rolls back the Executive Order forbidding assassinations.

 

STODOLAJ1

12:14 AM ET

June 25, 2011

Your right. The executive

Your right. The executive order instituted by Reagan is what stops us from assassinations of foreign learders, unless they acting in the capacity of military commanders, then they are fair game.

 

MEWP12

6:32 PM ET

June 25, 2011

assassination

WE passed a law right after the Castro debacle that we can't kill a world leader. But since Obama hasn't actually read the laws he may not know this.

 

PAOLO69

8:19 PM ET

June 24, 2011

B. Hussein Obama - Supreme Muslin leader.

It appears B. Hussein Obama is using the U.S. Military to systematically kill off the worlds Muslim leadership so when he is done destroying America he will be have positioned himself as the supreme Islamic leader of the world.

We are in big trouble.

 

WHATSUPWITHTHAT

10:54 PM ET

June 24, 2011

Wha?

You mean because once you kill the leader of a Muslim country no one takes their place? I guess Sadat proved that. Brilliant analysis.

 

CONNEDCON

2:01 PM ET

June 26, 2011

Muslin leader?

Are you saying Obama is KKK?

 

BARKER13

8:45 PM ET

June 24, 2011

Any reason why The Cable would...

Any reason why The Cable would note that Congressman Turner voted against authorizing continued U.S. military involvement in Libya YET failed to note how Turner voted on the resolution which refused to cut off funding for the... er... hostilities Congress had just refused to authorize?

 

AFGHANGOOD

1:51 AM ET

June 25, 2011

Illegal Efforts...

This statement by the 4-star U.S. military officer clearly state something that is 100% counter to what was authorized by the United Nations, but nothing will happen, which tells me this, Libya is fully authorized to take any action against nato, since their actions are illegal.

 

WINSTON SMITH 9584

6:47 PM ET

June 26, 2011

Unlawful armed hostilities in Libya...

If I were U.S. Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of the NATO Joint Operations Command in Naples, Italy, I would be very very nervous that I was enabling unauthorized and unlawful armed hostilities in Libya...

 

EDBARBAR

4:35 AM ET

June 25, 2011

What options are left?

Obama left NO options regarding high value targets. His view is we have to try them in lower Manhattan. Oops, a single high value target being tried would cost him his presidency.

What about capture, but don't tell? Oops, that's another problem if it ever came out. It would cost him his presidency.

The only alternative Obama has left is assassination. Illegal, yes. But so long as the press isn't looking, there isn't enough force of law to matter.

 

KINGOFTHEPAUPERS

1:23 PM ET

June 25, 2011

Turmel: Wanted dead by Great Satan must be an honor

Top U.S. admiral admits we are trying to kill Qaddafi
Jct: To be wanted dead by the Great Satan will surely be an honor some day and place Muammar Gathafi's name in the pantheon of resisters to the powers of evil. Obama, Harper, Cameron, Sarkozy can be added to the list of paid murderers someday too.

 

JAMES FREEMAN JR.

1:39 PM ET

June 25, 2011

Another Systematically Assassination

Serious business as usual, even thou our Excutive Order forbid targeting and the Assassination of any Foreign Leader. However! This shouldn't be a surprise to any of us, which I have no problem in beleiving Admire Locklear statement that NATO forces are trying to kill Qaddafi.

If and when this should take place it will be the second Assissination carried out with the blessing of President Obama, who consist on lying over and over not only to the American people, but to the World at large. The fact is he may fool some of us sometime, but not all of us all the time.

He should know by now, which I don't think that he does that what ever chances he had of returning for a Second term as President, is just a wish and that there will be no 2nd Term for Barack Obama in 2012.

 

GHOSTCOMMANDER

10:53 PM ET

June 25, 2011

Libya's Ghadafi

Even if God spoke out in support of President Obama on Libya, the radical extremist so-called republicans would not accept it.

All the radical extremist so-called republicans do is obstruct, accuse, and tell lies, even preposterous, lies, and repeat them over and over to convince/brainwash the American citizenry.

 

MALICIOUSDISORDER

2:20 AM ET

June 26, 2011

Qaddafi

When your finished with Qaddafi we have a few that need your services.

 

CONNEDCON

1:58 PM ET

June 26, 2011

A sign of US decline

While we engage in these nation building wars our real strength, our economic strength is being further taxed, neglected and eroded. We are going the route of post WWII Britain. It is clear to the world that the US has become unstable.

 

FACEDTHERAINS

3:44 PM ET

June 26, 2011

African leaders oppose NATO over Gadaffi - (Please Read)

African leaders oppose NATO over Gadaffi
Friday, 17th June, 2011

AT a meeting between the UN Security Council and the African Union High Level Ad hoc Committee on Libya on June 15, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations gave the African Union’s stand on NATO’s invasion of Libya. Below is the full statement

Mr. President,

1 . Thank you for organising this interactive dialogue. It is good that the United Nations Security Council has met the African Union (AU) Mediation Committee (High-Level Ad hoc Committee on Libya) so that we can exchange views on the situation in Libya in a candid manner. This should have happened much earlier because Libya is a founding member of the AU.

An attack on Libya or any other member of the African Union without express agreement by the AU is a dangerous provocation that should be avoided given the relaxed international situation in the last 20 years since the release of Nelson Mandela from jail and the eventual freedom of South Africa.

2. The UN is on safer ground if it confines itself on maintaining international peace and deterring war among member states.

3 . Intervening in internal affairs of States should be avoided except where there is proof of genocide or imminent genocide as happened in Rwanda or against the Jews in Germany and the European countries that were occupied by the Third Reich.

4. There are differences on the issue of Libya as to whether there was proof of genocide or intended genocide. Fighting between Government troops and armed insurrectionists is not genocide. It is civil war.

It is the attack on unarmed civilians with the aim of exterminating a particular group that is genocide – to exterminate the genes of targeted groups such as the Jews, Tutsis, etc. It is wrong to characterise every violence as genocide or imminent genocide so as to use it as a pretext for the undermining of the sovereignty of States.

Certainly, sovereignty has been a tool of emancipation of the peoples of Africa who are beginning to chart transformational paths for most of the African countries after centuries of predation by the slave trade, colonialism and neo-colonialism.

Careless assaults on the sovereignty of African Countries are, therefore, tantamount to inflicting fresh wounds on the destiny of the African peoples. If foreign invasions, meddlings, interventions, etc, were a source of prosperity, then, Africa should be the richest continent in the world because we have had all versions of all that: slave trade, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Yet, Africa has been the most wretched on account of that foreign meddling.

5 . Whatever the genesis of the intervention by NATO in Libya, the AU called for dialogue before the UN resolutions 1970 and 1973 and after those Resolutions.

Ignoring the AU for three months and going on with the bombings of the sacred land of Africa has been high-handed, arrogant and provocative. This is something that should not be sustained.

To a discerning mind, such a course is dangerous. It is unwise for certain players to be intoxicated with technological superiority and begin to think they alone can alter the course of human history towards freedom for the whole of mankind. Certainly, no constellation of states should think that they can recreate hegemony over Africa.

6. The safer way is to use the ability to talk, to resolve all problems.

7 . The UN or anybody acting on behalf of the UN must be neutral in relation to the internal affairs of states. Certainly, that should be the case with respect to African countries. The UN should not take sides in a civil war. The UN should promote dialogue, peaceful resolution of conflicts, and help in enforcing agreements arrived at after negotiations such as the agreement on the Sudan.

8. Regardless of the genesis of the Libyan problem, the correct way forward now is dialogue without pre-conditions. The demand by some countries that Col. Muammar Gadaffi must go first before the dialogue is incorrect. Whether Gadaffi goes or stays is a matter for the Libyan people to decide. It is particularly wrong when the demand for Gadaffi’s departure is made by outsiders.

9 . In order for dialogue, without pre-conditions, to take place, we need a ceasefire in place that should be monitored by the AU troops among others. This will help the AU to confirm the veracity of the stories of Gadaffi killing civilians intentionally.

10 . That dialogue should agree on the way forward in the direction of introducing competitive politics. Gadaffi thinks he has the most democratic system in the world of people’s authority, elected local committees. Since so much chaos in Libya has emerged on the issue, Gadaffi should see the wisdom of accepting competitive democracy.

Gadaffi cannot ignore the fact that the rebels took over Benghazi and his authority melted away before NATO came in to confuse the picture. The pre-NATO uprising in Benghazi was, mainly, internal. Gadaffi may say that they were organised by Al Qaeda. Even if that is so, it is a fact that some Libyans in Benghazi threw out Gadaffi’s authority. Therefore, Gadaffi must think of and agree to reforms, resulting into competitive politics.

11 . A transitional mechanism could, then, be worked out and competitive elections would take place after an agreed timetable.

12 . What about security for the opposition members? We have plenty of experience on such issues. What did we do in Burundi? We provided a protection force (a brigade) for the Hutu leaders who were living outside Burundi or were in the bush. One of them is now the President of Burundi after winning democratic elections.

13. How about those who are alleged to have committed war crimes – including Gadaffi and the rebels? Again, our decision in Burundi is useful here. We used the concept of “immunité provisoire” (provisional immunity), for all the stakeholders so that they could participate in the dialogue. After peace is realised, then a Truth and Reconciliation body could be set up to look into these matters. After democratic elections, trials of guilty parties can take place.

14. Long-term safety of everybody can be ensured by security sector reform and especially reform of the army, so that it takes orders from any elected President.

15 . The intervention in Libya was premised on the basis of protecting civilians and preventing further civilian deaths. However, the humanitarian situation in Libya remains serious and continues to get worse with continued hostilities.

Looking at how resolutions 1970 and 1973 are being implemented, the international community and the United Nations in particular, are being severely put to the test, as what is happening in Libya will undermine future efforts of the UN in the protection of civilians. There is, therefore, no need for any war-like activities in Libya because there is a peaceful way forward.

There has been no need for these war activities, ever since Gadaffi accepted dialogue when the AU mediation Committee visited Tripoli on April 10, 2011. Any war activities after that have been provocation for Africa. It is an unnecessary war. It must stop.

16. The story that the rebels cannot engage in dialogue unless Gadaffi goes away does not convince us. If they do not want dialogue, then, let them fight their war with Gadaffi without NATO bombing. Then, eventually, a modus vivendus will emerge between the two parties or one of them will be defeated. The attitude of the rebels shows us the danger of external involvement in internal affairs of African countries.

The externally sponsored groups neglect dialogue and building internal consensus and, instead, concentrate on winning external patrons. This cannot be in the interest of that country. Mobutu’s Congo as well as performance of all the other neo-colonies of Africa in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and their eventual collapse in the 1990s prove that foreign sponsored groups are of no value to Africa.

17 . It is essential that the UN Security Council works with the African Union to ensure that a ceasefire is immediately established with an effective and verifiable monitoring mechanism and dialogue embarked upon, leading to a political process including transitional arrangements and the necessary reforms. The crisis in Libya requires a political solution and not a military one; and the AU Road Map is the most viable option.

Finally, what is needed on the issue of Libya is a genuine partnership between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union. By working together we can find a lasting solution to the crisis in Libya.

I thank you.

Source:

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/757904

 

GAINESHERBERT

11:14 PM ET

June 26, 2011

Shocking!

I paid $32.67 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop for $94.83 being delivered to our house tomorrow by FedEX. I will never again pay expensive retail prices at stores. I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $52.78 to get. Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, LiveCent. com

 

John Hudson reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.

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