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| Africa North |
| White House: Libya fight is not war, it's 'kinetic military action' |
| 2011-03-24 |
| In the last few days, Obama administration officials have frequently faced the question: Is the fighting in Libya a war? From military officers to White House spokesmen up to the president himself, the answer is no. But that leaves the question: What is it? In a briefing on board Air Force One Wednesday, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes took a crack at an answer. "I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis, and setting up a no-fly zone," Rhodes said. "Obviously that involves kinetic military action, particularly on the front end." Rhodes' words echoed a description by national security adviser Tom Donilon in a briefing with reporters two weeks ago as the administration contemplated action in Libya. "Military steps -- and they can be kinetic and non-kinetic, obviously the full range -- are not the only method by which we and the international community are pressuring Gadhafi," Donilon said. |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #27 (TW, you are not suggesting that those Marines are headed to Gonzo?) Those particular Marines, swksvolFF? No. But I do think it will be argued in the near future that it's a parallel situation. "Near future" being while President Obama is still in office, Israel-lover that he is. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-03-24 23:09 |
| #26 Stakeholders in a target rich environment are equally susceptable to a balistic overmatch whether the context is kinetic military action or a fully declared war. |
| Posted by: Bunyip 2011-03-24 23:09 |
| #25 "Kinetic military action" = Whoa, haven't heard that phrase in a while. Looks like POTUS BAMMER + ADMIN are once again going "back to the future" of the 1980's REAGAN-BUSH 1 ERA, after Reagan's "STAR WARS" concepts but before "AIRLAND BATTLE 2000". versus * PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > AMERICANS + CHINESE DISCUSS "AIRSEA BATTLE" [AirSea Battle = EarthSpace/Battlespace 21]. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-03-24 22:56 |
| #24 Ivy League Lawyer of postmodern male athleticism. Tomadove holiday cruise physics class teacher's union promotional demonstration of right to assembly. Hows that for a field of shit? What Steve said; if that is a very clear set of goals I would hate to see what ambiguous and open ended would be. I mean really, averting a humanitarian crises with this administration could mean giving them all health coverage and high speed rail. (TW, you are not suggesting that those Marines are headed to Gonzo?) |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-03-24 21:53 |
| #23 Make love, not kinetic military action! |
| Posted by: Beavis 2011-03-24 21:07 |
| #22 "Peace Strikes" |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2011-03-24 20:52 |
| #21 Whether its Libya, Gaddafi, the pirates, or even what is war and what is not is an indictment of the ruling class. We've been through how many Presidents of both parties since Lockerbie and the man is still not a stain on the ground. A society that can not, will not face the reality and deal with it in a manner that has worked for literally thousands of years, is a society that can't deal with anything but live for the next day. Or for that matter, the next continuing resolution. No resolve, no courage, no substance other than 'playing the game' that only continues because there are those willing to be between a very ugly world and the players. Take that away and the game ends badly for everyone. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-03-24 19:39 |
| #20 Rhodes ought to ask the 2 guys that had to punch out of that F-15 the other day if they think it's a war... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2011-03-24 19:16 |
| #19 Hisonly motivation in this is to further his agenda for weakening the US and moving as much of our sovereignty to the UN as possible. I suspect this one is mostly about improving his poll numbers, Alan. Although it's possible he's preparing for a similar intervention to protect the beleaguered civilians of the Gaza Strip -- they've already asked. Way to go, Dr. Steve! |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-03-24 18:42 |
| #18 Thank you Dr. White. Well said. I agree with you. Currently we are short on leadership in the WH. I have never heard such a bunch of weasel words and weasel statements coming from the WH. Our military suffers from having no CINC. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-03-24 15:51 |
| #17 Steve, you don't get it still. Obama doesn't give a flying f*** about the Libyans or 'daffy. His only motivation in this is to further his agenda for weakening the US and moving as much of our sovereignty to the UN as possible. Freedom means f***all to him since his goal in life seems to be to be one of a galaxy of socialist/commie "presidents" (preferably for life) with the power over all. What's a Libyan peasant compared to the power to take over all American industry and subsume the US in the burgeoning Global Government? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2011-03-24 15:45 |
| #16 Personally I'm really offended by all this. I'm an unapologetic neo-con. I believe people have the right to be free and to fight for their freedom. If the rebels in Libya are doing that then I'm on their side, and I believe it would be right for us to help them. That they're fighting against one of the most odious, nasty, bloody thugs of the last half-century makes it even easier for me to support them. Most people in this country would agree. If only our President would say so. Instead we have 'kinetic military action'. We're supposed to let the Euros lead. We're waffling about whether Qadaffy can stay or has to go. We're waffling over whether we'll have boots on the ground or not. We have a fool for a President. He's especially a fool because he thinks he's so damned smart. This is a WAR. It's being fought by flesh-and-blood people. It's the most serious thing our country can take on. Most everyone, liberal or conservative, understands that. We want it explained, we want it justified, we want it to matter. I'm not demanding an exact exit strategy; that isn't possible now. But I want our President to take a stand, be consistent from one day to the next, and have an understanding of what it means to make a war. He wants Gadaffy gone? So do I. DAMMIT, make it happen. We aren't playing at mother-may-I. We aren't making wishes. Someone recently said that Obama is making war in the same way he did health care reform. The latter was bad enough but making war by committee, by changing one's mind, and by letting himself be led around by the nose by Hillary, by Sarkozy, by Putin, by Egyptian generals, and by Hillary again is just plain unconscionable. Mr. Obama, sir: be the DAMNED PRESIDENT. LEAD. Or get the hell out of office. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2011-03-24 15:32 |
| #15 "Operation WTF" rolls on. |
| Posted by: regular joe 2011-03-24 14:53 |
| #14 From the same Ministry of Truth who brought you the "People's Democratic Republic of..." |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2011-03-24 14:13 |
| #13 'kinetic military action' Other PC terms from The Old Jarhead -- Illegal Immigrant = Undocumented Worker Liberal, Socialist, Communist = Progressive Conservative = Wingnut Illegal Voter= Undocumented Citizen Failure = Pre-achiever Bribe = Unearned Bonus Kickback = Public Service Bonus Crook = Pre-ethical Citizen Wanted Criminal = Person of Interest Earmark = Investment in District Deficit = Investment by Future Workers Dropout = Undocumented Early Graduate Drunk, Druggie = Societal Victim Con Artist = Undocumented Attorney Suicide Bomber = Non-certified Explosives Expert Welfare Queen = Government Client Thugs = Union Organizers Robber = Wealth Redistribution Worker Mobster = Public Official Politician = Un-indicted Co-conspirator Death = Healthcare Cost Reduction Dead = Reduced Carbon Footprint Bureaucrat = Early Retiree Check Kiter = Undocumented Withdrawer Islamic Terrorist = Population Control Expert Child Murderer = Undocumented Very Late Term Abortionist Gang Leader = Community Organizer Murderer = Undocumented Hospice Assistant Murder Victim = Unplanned Organ Donor Burglar = Undocumented Acquisitions Expert Convict, prisoner = Temporary Government Guest Hooker = Undocumented Temporary Spouse Taxpayer Bailout = Troubled Asset Relief Investor who creates jobs = Rich Exploiter Government Takeover = Reform Liberal Protester = Free Speech Patriot Conservative Protester = Dangerous, Lunatic Teabagger Leftwing Riot = Protest Rightwing Protest ---- Riot |
| Posted by: Willy 2011-03-24 14:00 |
| #12 No kinetic military action for Oil! |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2011-03-24 13:48 |
| #11 Random word generator directly linked to teleprompter |
| Posted by: Oscar 2011-03-24 13:39 |
| #10 No fly zone now peace zone |
| Posted by: DK70 the Scantily Clad7177 2011-03-24 13:38 |
| #9 "Kinetic military action?" What a crock of crap! |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-03-24 13:35 |
| #8 Is this like "jobs created or saved"? What a buncha assholes. |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2011-03-24 13:32 |
| #7 Well, it would be explained if you went full antonym, to: "Immobile political inaction". Which is Barry in a nutshell. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-03-24 13:14 |
| #6 Oh. It's not part of the Overseas Contingency Operation Against Man-Caused Disasters? My mistake. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2011-03-24 12:53 |
| #5 As opposed to "immobile military action". |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-03-24 12:46 |
| #4 No kinetic military action for oil! |
| Posted by: Mike 2011-03-24 12:00 |
| #3 War 1. a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation; warfare, as by land, sea, or air. 2. a state or period of armed hostility or active military operations: The two nations were at war with each other. 3. a contest carried on by force of arms, as in a series of battles or campaigns: the War of 1812. www.dictionary.com But of course, the left does not read the dictionary, the Constitution, or Health care bills. |
| Posted by: Vortigern Crinetle3869 2011-03-24 11:36 |
| #2 Anyone else getting really tired of the left constantly renaming things so people aren't offended and they can distance themselves from things that sound "icky"? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2011-03-24 11:24 |
| #1 Looks like. Walks like. Talks like. Smells like. So it must be something else waiting to be defined at a later date by philosophers and academia. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2011-03-24 11:17 |