Coons Wants U.S. To Continue Aiding Post-Gaddafi Libya

By Adrianna McGinley

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told reporters Thursday that it would be a good idea for the United States to continue assisting Libyan rebels as they look forward to a world without Moammar Gaddafi.

Numerous outlets are reporting today that Gaddafi was captured and killed in a remote area near his hometown of Sirte this morning. U.S. officials have yet to confirm anything, but Libyan National Transitional Council officials are saying that Gaddafi was killed after NATO warplanes reigned fire on his convoy, which then reportedly enabled rebel forces to attack him on the ground.

Coons shared his assessment of what America’s policy should look like regarding Libya during a press conference in the Capitol on Thursday.

“Our engagement in Libya, which takes a different turn today, can and should remain one that is scaled appropriate to the needs of the Libyan people to now quickly transition to a stable democracy,” Coons said.

“How things move forward in Libya will send critical signals to the rest of the region and to the world, so I do think the United States has a real and strong interest in continuing to be engaged.”

Coons spoke following a closed-door meeting held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which focused on President Obama’s decision last week to order American forces to Central Africa to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Coons said he backs administrative action to deploy roughly 100 troops there with the purpose of providing training to African forces battling the LRA, a reigning terrorist militant group led by Joseph Kony.

“I support and think this modest, reasonable action was an important next step in what has been a multiyear effort,” Coons stated.

Bolivia's Morales Sees Oil, Greed Behind NATO Mission in Libya

Evo Morales, Bolivia’s socialist president, says NATO’s intervention in Libya is an act of “imperialism” motivated by the West’s desire to control natural resources. 

In a press conference ahead of his address to the UN General Assembly this afternoon, Morales argued that the NATO bombing campaign against forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was part of a new strategy deployed by capitalist countries.

“They are trying to overcome their financial problems by whatever means [necessary to control] the natural resources of other countries.” he told reporters. 

Morales says NATO and the UN Security Council’s refusal to intervene in the Israel-Palestine crisis – a conflict he maintains is comparable to that of Libya, without the important oil reserves –is evidence of the West’s double standard for military intervention.  

“There have been efforts in Libya to remove the government, drop bombs,” he said “And what about in Palestine, where is NATO? Where Palestine is concerned where is the Security Council?”  

Morales said he was disappointed by President Brack Obama’s opening remarks at the General Assembly. 

 “I see a double standard on the part of President Obama which is disappointing. He talked about lasting peace, durable peace – but that can’t be through [American] bases or military intervention.” 

President Morales also referred to the America’s failure to move forward on the Kyoto Protocols and the continued existence of a large US nuclear arsenal as evidence that the American President was insincere in his commitment to climate change and nuclear disarmament.

Arab Spring Showed France Error of Its Ways

France’s minister of Foreign Affairs says his government’s past support for authoritarian regimes and dictatorships in the Middle East was misguided and short sighted, but is now determined to provide the region “a helping hand” to develop its democratic initiatives.

“The Arab Springs showed us that [the regional stability] was just an illusion” Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppe told a press conference at the Council on Foreign Relations this morning in New York. “The protests are a great chance to institute democracy and the rule of law as well as peace and stability”

Juppe said the international community has “a moral and political duty” to help Egypt, Tunisia and Libya in their transitions and argued only free elections could ensure national legitimacy and against the radicalization of political discourse.

The French Minster of Foreign Affairs also outlined the Deauville initiative, a G8 plan to support new democratic governments. He says the $38 billion initiative will help carry out transitions and reforms for the creation of new democratic entities in the Middle East.

“This is your revolution. We stand alongside you” Mr. Juppé said, repeating the message he delivered during a visit to Tunis last week. 

UN Approves Mission To Libya, Recognizes NTC As Interim Government

The UN Security Council has unanimously agreed to send an assistance mission to Libya and to start rolling back some of the weapons and financial sanctions imposed against Libyan companies and the former Gaddafi government.

At the request of Libya’s National Transitional Council(NTC), the mission will be limited to providing political assistance on issues like election preparation, transitional justice and national reconciliation for an initial three month mandate. 

Security Council diplomats said provisions authorizing NATO air strikes to protect civilian populations and the implementation of a No Fly Zone would remain in the resolution until conditions on the ground allowed for them to be lifted.

The Security Council resolution also lifts all sanctions against Libyan oil companies, by far the country’s most profitable industry.

Earlier today, the General Assembly voted to recognize members of the National Transitional Council as Libya’s official representatives to the UN by a vote 114-17, with 15 abstentions.

Several Latin American and African countries voted against the move and accused Western powers of ignoring ceasefire negotiations between parties and violating the Security Council’s “protection of civilians “ mandate in its attempts to overthrow the Gaddafi regime. 

House Intelligence Chair Assesses Threats Abroad

By Adrianna McGinley

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) pushed the importance of American leadership abroad in combating national security threats.  

During an event Friday held by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Rogers addressed questions regarding U.S. involvement in the Middle East and the military rise of China.

“We must be prepared for the potential threat that a rising China poses,” Rogers said. “We must keep a strong American presence in the region. We must understand the Chinese ambitions and tensions and capabilities and how they see their future. China will only surpass us if we let them.”

Questions were also posed concerning Iran and its potential threat to Israel.

“Iran’s leaders have clearly expressed their desires to annihilate Israel. We should take their leaders’ public sentiments and statements and intentions seriously,” Rogers said. “They speak volumes about their desires and how they maintain power and position, even in their own country. We must therefore recognize the strategic threat and position that Iran poses.”

Rogers expressed concern for political differences interfering with decision making on international involvement, and the effect it can have on America’s credibility abroad.

“If every decision on international engagement is made through your own domestic political troubles, we are never going to come to the right conclusion ever again on international engagement,” Rogers said. “In Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Libya, and in the rest of the world, our allies and our enemies must know that when America intervenes, we will not cut and run. Our enemies must know without a doubt that when America commits itself, we do not commit ourselves to artificial timelines of withdrawals or limits on troop levels. America commits itself to one thing, achieving a lasting victory.”