Muammar Qaddafi

Obama Calls On Qaddafi To End The Bloodshed, Give Himself Up

Susan Crabtree | August 22, 2011, 2:02PM

President Barack Obama (D)

President Obama called on Libyan Leader Muammar Qaddafi to end the bloodshed and give himself up amid reports that fighters for the regime are mounting a last-ditch defense of their swiftly shrinking control of Tripoli.

In an audio statement released Monday afternoon, Obama said Qaddafi has the "opportunity to reduce further bloodshed" by surrendering to NATO-backed opposition forces.

"Although it is clear that Gadhafi's rule is over, he still has the opportunity to reduce further bloodshed by explicitly relinquishing power to the people of Libya and calling for those forces that continue to fight to lay down their arms for the sake of Libya," Obama said.

Read more »

Libya

Obama Sends $25 Million To Libyan Rebels

Susan Crabtree | April 27, 2011, 9:01AM

President Barack Obama formally ordered up to $25 million in urgent -- but non-military -- aid for Libyan rebels fighting Muammar Qaddafi as a fears of a open-ended stalemate escalated.

Obama granted the funds to Libya's Transitional National Council in a memo from the President to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton early Tuesday evening.

Libya

Senate Hawks Berate Gates Over Handoff Of Libya To NATO

Susan Crabtree | March 31, 2011, 5:46PM

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates endured nearly six hours of grilling from Congress Thursday, with the most combative questioning coming from -- surprisingly -- Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and a group of Senate hawks on the Armed Services Committee who support military intervention in Libya.

McCain expressed grave disappointment about the decision to have the U.S. military forces step aside and allow NATO to take control before Muammar Qaddafi has been toppled from power.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) asked why the U.S. couldn't simply bomb Qaddafi like President Reagan tried to do in 1986 when he sent cruise missiles into the Libyan leader's palace, killing one of his daughters, and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said rebel setbacks over the last two days have been "unsettling."

Read more »

Libya

GOP Senator: Are There Al Qaeda Elements Among Libyan Rebels?

Susan Crabtree | March 29, 2011, 12:07PM

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)

Update: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downplayed the likelihood of an al Qaeda contingency among the Libyan rebels, but she acknowledged "we are still getting to know those who are leading the transitional national council."

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) wants to know much more about the Libyan rebels the U.S. and NATO allies have been aiding with air strikes and humanitarian assistance for more than a week.

"There have been several reports about the presence of al Qaeda among the rebels," Inhofe said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday. "What do we know about this?"

Read more »

'Obama's Wars'

Obama Doctrine Emerges: International Support Critical To Military Missions

Susan Crabtree | March 27, 2011, 9:38AM

After weeks of withering criticism of the White House's delayed response in Libya, as well as his decision to authorize air strikes, President Obama is beginning to articulate his philosophy for the use of military force overseas.

The President plans to lay out the strategy behind his foreign policy decisions in Libya in a prime-time address to the nation Monday night at 7:30 ET, something his critics say he should have done before missile launches began in the North African country last Friday.

Read more »

Syria

White House Sidesteps Questions About Whether Syrian Leader Should Go

Susan Crabtree | March 25, 2011, 4:03PM

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

The White House is strongly condemning the Syrian government's attacks on its citizen-protesters with similar language it used against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi in the weeks and days leading up to U.S. air strikes in the North African country.

Noticeably absent from the denouncement, however, is any broad statement from President Obama or his staff that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has lost his "legitimacy" and must step down or be removed from power.

Read more »

Libya

Libya Talk Turns To Limited Boots On The Ground

Susan Crabtree | March 23, 2011, 1:37AM

Conservative advocates for greater U.S. intervention in Libya are beginning to call for a limited number of boots on the ground to help rebel forces coordinate and target their attacks against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Max Boot, a longtime proponent of the use of military force to promote U.S. ideals around the world, is calling on President Obama to send special forces teams into Libya to work with the opposition leaders to coordinate their attacks on the ground with NATO airstrikes.

Boot was quick to say he wasn't pushing a foreign occupation on the ground, which would directly violate the United Nations Security Council resolution passed Thursday giving the U.S., Britain and France the authority to use all necessary force to avert a humanitarian crisis.

Read more »

Libya

White House Lays Out New Option on Libya

Susan Crabtree | March 15, 2011, 4:50PM

As Muammar Qaddafi's forces push east and bare down on opposition rebels, the White House continues to deflect calls for a no-fly zone in Libya, instead offering up an entirely new option Tuesday.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. is trying to find ways to free up some of billions of dollars of assets seized from the Libyan leader's government to provide help for the opposition. He was short on details about the plan as reporters peppered him with questions about whether the tide has already turned in Qaddafi's favor.

Read more »

Barney Frank

Barney Frank: NATO 'Serves No Strategic Purpose'

Eric Lach | December 28, 2010, 12:37PM

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

Amid all the talk about spending cuts for unemployment benefits, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) has a counter proposal: cut NATO spending. The congressman told The Huffington Post that defense spending needs to be included in the discussion about spending cuts, and argued that the liberal community should focus specifically on NATO spending as an issue. The Democrat went so far as to question NATO's value.

Read more »

Afghanistan

Hungary Sending 200 More Troops To Afghanistan

Christina Bellantoni | December 4, 2009, 12:25PM

Vice President Joe Biden and Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai

Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai said after a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden that his country, a member of NATO, is sending 200 more troops to Afghanistan.

It's an increase of 60 percent that Biden deemed "significant" due to the country's relatively small population he estimated is about 10 million.

Bajnai said Hungary "made clear we agree with the strategy" President Obama laid out this week for the war in Afghanistan and that his country is "ready to participate" and will send "up to 200 new" troops.

Bajnai said the new troops are to help the situation "get done." He said Hungary has "a duty" to help. "We believe in the strategy," he said.

Biden said the U.S. is "grateful" for Hungary's support and said they discussed a stable Pakistan in addition to Afghanistan "as the president always does."

Biden said "most Americans" might say 200 troops seems like few, but "this is a significant commitment" since there will be a total of 500 troops in Afghanistan from a country he said has about 10 million people.

Biden said it is a "politically important and courageous decision."

They also spoke about the U.S.-Hungarian relationship and the economy.

Later today Bajnai will meet with National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones and Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner.

As press left, Biden turned to Bajnai and said "I hope Jim Jones is buying you lunch."