should use. insurgents is a better word to use to describe them. they are not fighters. there s pictures of them reading the weapons manual as they are in battle in the east last week. without more training, and a lot of money to buy weapons that could level the playing field there. it s going to be next to impossible to come to tripoli. back to you, willie. that s never a good sign when they are reading the manuals during battle. the obama administration is facing criticism at home and abroad that libya may turn into an open-ended conflict. u.s. costs on the operation could pass $1 billion regardless of how well things go. in chile yesterday, president obama emphasized the goal of the military strikes against libya is limited.
the strikes in libya. we heard about lugar and webb. who else is going after the president here? the president is getting criticism from democrats and republicans. you have senator webb of virginia, a democrat, former marine, former navy secretary saying congress has been on auto pilot when it comes to overseas action. he wants congress more involved. john cornyn of texas, a republican says the president is treating congress like a potted plant. congress is saying not that the president needed their consent or they are opposed to it, but they want the president to go beyond notifying them. he did. he has several conversations over the weekend. to consult them and include them. when president obama is back, he s going to need to give a clearer explanation to congress and the public about the mission and exactly how he came to it. one question that perhaps joe
yemen that the forces of the president there used sniper fire to kill somewhere between 45 and 50 people, shooting them in the neck and head, and wounding about 200. now if they did that the in tehran, wouldn t there be cries for american intervention to stop this horrible massacre? the only argument, joe, for libya is we did it because it was possible. but if it s not possible to get rid of gadhafi or to help the rebellion make sure it held on to benghazi or some of the other cities, then what s the yard stick here? is it humanitarian? in which case why were we in darfur or helping in the congo where four million people have died in the last ten years? all of these yard sticks to say one operation has to be conducted from america s self-interest when there doesn t seem to be a very clear self-interest seems to me a hard
voting to take action on libya. let s start there. the libyan government closed its air space to all traffic today in reaction to that u.n. resolution authorizing the use of force and a no-fly zone over the country. american officials say attempts to ground moammar gadhafi s forces could begin by sunday or monday with the use of jet fighters, bombers and surveillance aircraft. meanwhile, gadhafi is promising to respond harshly to any u.n.-sponsored attack saying he doesn t acknowledge its resolutions. the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court says that if gadhafi goes ahead with his threat to attack benghazi, it would constitute a war crime. the question is, is it too little too late? max hastings writing in the financial times says this, grown-up governments do not indulge in emotional lunges committing warplanes as if sending a donation to oxfam. is it too little too late in
japan. that being said,fy were running for office i wouldn t make that a centerpiece. it just felt optics felt a little off, didn t they? i agree. so you might be taking aback a little bit, look at it and then you would move on. this idea of them piling on over him going on is silly. that s filling air time. pat, you agree with that, right? i don t know if it s a good idea to go partying in rio this weekend when we re talking about air strikes on libya. now, i missed that press release from the white house. is the president, quote, partying in rio? i don t think that s what he s doing there. so what is he doing? steve rattner, what is the president doing in rio this weekend? he s going to promote jobs and american exports. good transition to our two must-read op-eds. that sounds like newt.