NATO: Weapons Failure May Have Killed Libyan Civilians

NATO  acknowledged Sunday that an air strike in Tripoli aimed at taking out a military missile site may have inadvertently killed Libyan civilians.

“Although we are still determining the specifics of this event, indications are that a weapons system failure may have caused this incident,” Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, the Commander of Operation Unified Protector, said in a statement.

The Libyan government has claimed that 15 individuals, including 3 children, were killed in the strike.

Following the strike, Wing Commander Mike Bracken, the spokesperson for the Operation, said “NATO regrets the loss of innocent civilian lives and takes great care in conducting strikes against a regime determined to use violence against its own citizens.”

Added Bracken, “Every mission is planned and executed with tremendous care to avoid civilian casualties.”

Petraeus Confirmation Hearing Set For Next Week

General David Petraeus, the administration’s choice to head the Central Intelligence Agency, will have his first confirmation hearing next Thursday.

Petraeus will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee and will likely be approved unanimously. The four-star General will be taking over from outgoing director Leon Panetta, who in turn is going to the Pentagon as Defense Secretary at the end of the month.

Petraeus is currently overseeing U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Barney Frank: Sexism Fueling GOP Opposition To Elizabeth Warren

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) told reporters Thursday that sexism was playing a role in Republican opposition to Elizabeth Warren’s confirmation as head of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

“There is no question that the fact she is a woman has been a part of this. Financial regulation has been a very male preserve,” Frank, the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, said during an afternoon press conference. “The effort … to demonize Elizabeth Warren is in part because a woman shouldn’t be telling bankers what to do.”

When pressed, Frank explained that prejudice against Warren’s gender hasn’t changed the subject of the debate but that it has “exacerbated” the “tone” of the argument. 

Senate Republicans have pledged to block any nominee until the agency’s authority is limited. Democrats have recently stepped up their support for Warren. On Thursday, a letter signed by over 90 Democrats urging Obama to pursue a recess appointment was sent to the White House.

Warren previously served as the chair of the Committee tasked with overseeing the use of TARP funds.

NATO Extends Libya Operation By 90 Days

NATO will extend military operations in Libya by 90 days, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced Wednesday.

Describing the decision as a “clear message to the Gaddafi regime,” Rasmussen said in a statement that NATO will “keep up the pressure” in order to fulfill the UN Security Council’s resolution.

The extension was unanimously agreed to by all countries in the NATO alliance. Without an extension, the mission was authorized to continue until late June.

The operation, entitled Unified Protector, is primarily based around preventing Gaddafi forces from attacking civilian targets by enforcing naval embargos and a no-fly zone. 

Poll: Feingold Could Easily Secure His Party’s Nod In 2012

Ousted Senator Russ Feingold stands to easily capture his party’s nomination if he decides to run for retiring Senator Herb Kohl’s seat.

According to a report from Public Policy Polling, 70 percent of Wisconsin Democrats who are likely to vote in the state’s primaries would back Feingold. His closest frontrunner is Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) with 12 percent support. No other possible candidates scores above 5 percent.

Feingold, a noted progressive, served in the Senate from 1993 to 2011. He was beaten by Republican Ron Johnson in the 2010 midterm elections.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson leads the GOP field with 46 percent of likely Republican primary voters.

The poll was conducted between May 19^th and May 22^nd among 783 “usual Wisconsin Democratic primary voters” and 666 usual Republicans.