US to give Libyan rebels non-lethal aid

[Guest guest]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_us_libya_opposition

US to give Libyan rebels non-lethal aid

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Lee, Associated Press – Wed Apr 20,

8:22 pm ET

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration plans to give the Libyan opposition $25

million in non-lethal assistance in the first direct U.S. aid to the rebels

after weeks of assessing their capabilities and intentions, officials said

Wednesday.

Amid a debate over whether to offer the rebels broader assistance, including

cash and possibly weapons and ammunition, the administration has informed

Congress that President Barack Obama intends to use his so-called drawdown

authority to give the opposition, led by the Transitional National Council in

Benghazi, up to $25 million in surplus American goods to help protect civilians

in rebel-held areas threatened by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who recommended that Obama authorize

the assistance, said the aid would go to support the council and " our efforts to

protect civilians and the civilian populated areas that are under threat of

attack from their own government in Libya. " She said the aid " will be drawn down

from items already in government stocks that correspond with the needs that we

have heard from the Transitional National Council. "

Congress was notified in writing of the plan late last week and was briefed in

greater detail on Tuesday by Gene Cretz, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, officials

said.

Initially, the administration had proposed supplying the rebels with vehicles

and portable fuel storage tanks but those items were dropped from the list of

potential aid on Wednesday after concerns were expressed that those could be

converted into offensive military assets, the officials said.

The list is still being revised but now covers items such as medical supplies,

uniforms, boots, tents, personal protective gear, radios and Halal meals, which

are meals prepared according to Islamic tradition, the officials said. Most of

the items are expected to come from Pentagon stocks, they said.

" There is an urgency in providing these commodities, " the State Department said

in a notice sent last Friday to lawmakers and obtained by The Associated Press.

[Guest guest]

That's a lot of political gobbledygook. They know fully well that the material they send for the civilians will end up in the hands of the leaders and the fighters. Just what kind of US military surplus are they planning to send? Worn out M16's or top shelf communication and Javelin missiles? Hillary, Powers and one other woman were really frantic to get the US involved in Libya. Can't imagine why really since the US has nothing to gain and much to lose, though perhaps that is why. Qaddafi is not a nice guy but he was a controlled bad guy. Even since Reagan spanked him over the terrorist bombing that killed some troops in Germany, he remained fairly quiet. Now there is a mess and who knows what will come out of it, aside from the probability that the new government will be hostile to the US.

In a message dated 4/21/2011 12:37:38 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who recommended that Obama authorize the assistance, said the aid would go to support the council and "our efforts to protect civilians and the civilian populated areas that are under threat of attack from their own government in Libya." She said the aid "will be drawn down from items already in government stocks that correspond with the needs that we have heard from the Transitional National Council."