U.S. President Barack Obama and his legal advisers are deliberating about how the United States military may lawfully continue participating in NATO’s bombing campaign in Libya after next week, when the air war will reach a legal deadline for terminating combat operations that have not been authorized by Congress.
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, a president must terminate such operations 60 days after he has formally notified lawmakers about the introduction of armed forces into actual or imminent hostilities. The Libya campaign will reach that mark on May 20. NYT
HIGHLIGHTS
Though Congressional leaders have shown little interest in enforcing the resolution, James Steinberg, the deputy secretary of state, was asked Thursday about the deadline at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. NYT
He said the administration was examining the military’s “role and activities as we move through the next period of time” and would consult Congress about evaluating “what we think we can and can’t do.” NYT
“Mindful of the passage of time including the end of the two-month period, we are in the process of reviewing our role, and the president will be making decisions going forward in terms of what he sees as appropriate for us to do,” Steinberg said. NYT
The administration apparently has no intention of pulling out of the Libya campaign, and Steinberg said that Obama was committed “to act consistently with the War Powers Resolution.” So the Obama legal team is now trying to come up with a plausible theory for why continued participation by the United States does not violate the law. NYT
The Obama administration is stepping up its engagement with forces fighting Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, inviting opposition leaders to meet with U.S. officials at the White House Friday, while stopping short of recognizing their council as Libya’s legitimate government. FOX News
The White House said Mahmoud Jibril, a representative of the Libyan Transitional National Council, would meet with senior administration officials, including National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, as well as members of Congress. But there were no plans for President Barack Obama to meet with Jibril and his delegation. FOX News
The Obama administration is facing intense questioning from U.S. lawmakers about current and future U.S. efforts to reshape Libya. Nearly two months into an international military campaign, legislators are seeking answers about goals, methods, costs, and potential outcomes in the oil-rich country, where Gaddafi continues to cling to power. VOA
The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar of Indiana, expressed strong misgivings about President Barack Obama’s failure to seek congressional consent to launch war operations over Libya. VOA
“The president should have come to Congress seeking authority to wage war in Libya. And I believe that Congress and the American people would still benefit from a debate on this matter,” he said. VOA
FACTS & FIGURES
Adopting UNSC Resolution 1973 by a vote of 10 in favor to none against, with 5 abstentions the Council authorized Member States, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in Libya. The resolution does not authorize regime change. Guardian
The United States led the bombing campaign in its first week, but has since then taken a back seat, putting NATO in command with the British and French responsible for most strikes on Gaddafi’s forces. President Obama made clear Washington was not planning to resume to a more active military role. Huffington Post
The stated mission of the U.S. has been to protect Libyan civilians from Gaddafi’s military forces but not to attack Gaddafi directly. Obama has said the goal is to give Libyan fighters the opportunity to gain enough strength to oust Gaddafi themselves. Still, Obama and other American officials have called for Gaddafi to step down from power. The Hill
U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged on April 15 that there was a “stalemate” on the ground in Libya. Gulf News
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has said the United States should take a more aggressive approach in Libya to oust Dictator Muammar Gaddafi, bombing the capitol city so members of Gaddafi’s inner circle “wake up every day wondering, ‘will this be my last?’ “‘ Huffington Post.
