It seems that the West is having second thoughts. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates delivered a stinging rebuke of NATO participation in the campaign to separate Libya from the clutches of Moammar Qaddaffi. The problem with much of modern diplomacy and foreign policy is that it subscribes to a school of postmodern relativism. In short, all cultures and viewpoints are considered to have equal value. This is an absurd and pollyannish point of view. The ideals of North Korea, Myanmar or Yemen are decidedly inferior to those of France, Canada or even Argentina. Part of the failure of the West has been their inability to hold their ideals as non-negotiable when confronting states whose records on human rights, tolerance and freedoms are less than stellar (hello China).
Until the West faces the fact that there is no room for theocracies or dictatorships within the body of free nations, it will continue to be plagued with a host of dilemmas regarding how it treats issues such as Syria versus Libya.
NATO Members Re-evaluate Contributions to Libya Mission
Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:32:00 -0500
By Donna Miles - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2011 - NATO members are reviewing their contributions with an eye toward increasing their support to the ongoing mission to protect the Libyan people from Moammar Gadhafi's forces, a NATO spokeswoman said today.
"It is clear that NATO has the resources to keep up the pressure on the Gadhafi regime," Oana Lungescu told reporters via videoconference from Brussels. "We know it takes time. We know that following last week's ministerial meeting, allies and partners are considering how they can best provide the necessary resources to see this mission through."
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is "confident the alliance will do just that," she said.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates joined his fellow defense ministers at last week's ministerial in Brussels to endorse the extension of NATO's Operation Unified Protector mission by 90 days. The extension authorizes NATO to continue operations through the end of September.
Gates also prodded NATO to increase its support for the operation, telling NATO's Security and Defense Agenda assembly the day after the ministerial the mission as it stands reflects lack of both resources and will.
"While every alliance member voted for the Libya mission, less than half have participated, and fewer than a third have been willing to participate in the strike mission," he said. "Frankly, many of those allies sitting on the sidelines do so not because they do not want to participate, but simply because they can't. The military capabilities simply aren't there."
Despite these gaps, Gates recognized that the mission has succeeded in grounding Gadhafi's air force and degrading his regime's ability to kill his own people. "While the operation has exposed some shortcomings caused by underfunding," the secretary said, "it has also showed the potential of NATO, with an operation where Europeans are taking the lead with American support."
NATO Deputy Spokesperson and Royal Air Force Wing Cmdr. Mike Bracken, military spokesman for Operation Unified Protector, reported "considerable dynamic activity across Libya" during the past few days, with frequent skirmishes in pockets of the country between pro-Gadhafi and rebel forces.
NATO is monitoring the constantly evolving situation on the ground closely as it continues its operations, Bracken said today via teleconference from the Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters in Naples, Italy.
Much of NATO's effort is focused on Tripoli, where air strikes continue to degrade Gadhafi's command-and-control nodes and other military targets and ultimately, his forces' ability to coordinate attacks, Bracken reported.
"We know that Tripoli is the lynchpin for the command and control of the Gadhafi regime and his ability to issue orders to fielded forces," he said.
NATO also is targeting ammunition storage bunkers and facilities across Libya to deny Gadhafi forces munitions and reduce the threat of attacks on the civilian population.
"NATO will continue to dismantle the regime's ability to coordinate attacks and direct violence against the country, and reduce pro-Gadhafi forces' freedom to maneuver," Bracken said.
Lungescu expressed optimism at Germany's and the United Arab Emirates' recent decisions to recognize the anti-Gadhafi National Transitional Council established in February as "the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people."
She called the decision "further evidence of the increasing isolation of the Gadhafi regime and that, quite simply, this regime has no future."
| Related Sites: Related Articles: |
Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com.
Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://service.govdelivery.com/service/user.html?code=USDOD. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com.
Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information.
Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more.
Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs.
This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/.
GovDelivery, Inc. sending on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense · 408 St. Peter Street Suite 600 · St. Paul, MN 55102 · 1-800-439-1420
