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Currently, President Obama is weighing his options on what course of action the U.S. needs to take in Libya while the situation deteriorates as Libyan forces attack rebel forces. Influential leaders on both sides of the political spectrum have called for the U.S. to take an active part in preventing Libyan forces from attacking rebel forces in at the least providing a no fly zone over Libya.
There is a compelling opposition that has been articulated that the U.S. should not be involved militarily in a third Muslim nation, especially one with dubious national security interests to the U.S., and what if the no-fly zone failed-then what?
The president has already placed himself in a precarious situation with statements by his administration that Qaddafi must go. What is the strategy the president will recommend for the U.S. in regard to the Libyan situation, and for that matter the broader Middle East?
President Obama and his administration have looked unsure of what course of action to take, one only has to remember the situation in Iran in 2009, when pro-democracy forces were brutally crushed by the Iranian regime. Failure to plan accordingly has placed the U.S. in this precarious situation.
Again, now what strategy will the president pursue?
http://militarybriefingbook.com/browse.cfm?category=Africa&subcategory=North%20Africa
For weeks the media have been focusing on the life and exploits of actor Charlie Sheen, but almost no coverage has been centered on the armed forces of this nation who are currently engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan. It's appalling that attention has been centered on this one person and his despicable life style, but no coverage has been spent covering what are troops in Afghanistan are going through.
Too often the armed forces of this nation spend many months away from their families and face the most arduous conditions to fight in all in the name of freedom, but we forget them and concentrate our attention on the life and antics of Charlie Sheen's of the world; why? Perhaps it is these exact freedoms that afford us the luxury and sense of security to waist time and focus on such nonsense.
Freedom is a precious gift and we should do everything we can to preserve it. This is exactly what our military is doing. Each of us, as American citizens, need to take more time to honor their sacrifices and not get so caught up in the meaningless nonsense of the media, such as the life of Charlie Sheen.
http://militarybriefingbook.com/topic.cfm?topic=Letter%20from%20Iraq%20Afganistan
For the past few weeks, rebels have been fighting to over throw the repressive regime of Libyan dictator Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Recently, forces loyal to Qaddafi have been attacking rebel forces with a variety of different weapons, but most notably air power. The rebels have asked the international community for assistance, but so far everyone is assessing what options to take.
The president has been presented various options by his military planners and they range from a no-fly zone, to bombing Libyan troops and weapons platforms, to arming and training the rebels by U.S. special forces. All these options depend on the events on the ground and the president is weighing his options.
The problem is, why is it taking so long for the president to decide on a course of action? It's not like this just started overnight, it has been going on since January when the government of Tunisia fell. Since the crisis unfolded across the Middle East and North Africa, the president has been slow to respond. Where are our European allies who have chastised us for years for our hegemonic approach to foreign policy. Why are they not leading?
It's time for the president to lead, and time for the president to get our European allies to lead, or keep quite when we do.
http://militarybriefingbook.com/browse.cfm?category=Africa&subcategory=North%20Africa
Right now the Obama administration is in a quandary of whether or not to use military force in Libya. Presently rebel forces have begun to send word out that it would accept outside military help in its fight against Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi. Currently, U.S. military forces are being set up near by in the Mediterranean, with a carrier currently on its way to Libyan waters.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, testified yesterday that a no-fly-zone over Libya would be difficult and would first commence with attacking Libyan air defense installations. Right now Libyan forces loyal to Gaddafi have been bombing and strafing rebel forces in rebel controlled towns.
The decision for the president is at what point does the U.S. become involved? Do we allow the slaughter of innocent people, reminiscent of failure of the international community, including the U.S., to act in the Rwandan Genocide, which claimed the lives of an estimated 800,000 people. The failure to act haunted the Clinton administration for the rest of his tenure.
The president has been silent on what his strategy is for Libya, and for that matter the broader Middle East. Since demonstrations have broken out across the Middle East and North Africa, the president and his national security team always seams to be a step behind the events.
President Obama needs to lead or events will spiral out of control, further complicating U.S. interests in the region with resultant affects for years to come.
http://militarybriefingbook.com/browse.cfm?category=Africa&subcategory=North%20Africa
With all of the freedoms and liberty that we enjoy as citizens of this great nation, far too often only those who serve in the U.S. armed forces truly understand the sacrifice of the men and women standing watch in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other parts of the world both home and abroad. Currently less than one percent of the U.S. population serves in uniform at a time when America is engaged in the longest sustained combat operations in its history.
Lt. Gen John Kelly knows all too well of the sacrifice, as he lost his son last year in combat operations while serving in Afghanistan. how many of us know of someone in uniform, or for that matter would allow their child to serve? Ask yourself this question, 'how much am I willing to sacrifice to protect the freedom and liberties of our great nation.
http://militarybriefingbook.com/
For the next two days, Mexican President Felipe Calderon will be visiting Washington to meet with President Obama and discuss many important issues facing the two countries. High on the list will be immigration. The last time President Calderon visited Washington was the height of Arizona's controversial immigration reform measure.
While President Calderon was in Washington last year he lambasted Arizona's immigration measure and the president & Congress stood silent. Nothing was mentioned about Mexico's own immigration policies, which treats it as a criminal offense and routinely cited by human rights groups for abusing migrants from Central America.
Will the president take President Calderon to task by asking what is Mexico doing to help its own people? Currently there is no impetus for Mexico to stop the flow of immigrants to the United States, for them its a steady source of revenue. After oil, money that flows back from immigrants in the United States is the second largest revenue source for the Mexican government. Why would they want to stop this revenue stream?
It will be interesting to see what the president says when meeting with President Calderon, but my guess is he will do nothing, as he is gearing up for re-election and wants the support of Hispanics in the 2012 election.
http://militarybriefingbook.com/browse.cfm?category=Americas&subcategory=Mexico
Sunday, and the days following media coverage has been about the winners of the Academy Awards, and who was wearing what, but no mention was paid to our troops serving in Afghanistan. For the past few weeks the attention of the U.S. has been on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, and leading up to Sunday's Academy Awards on who would win or what Hollywood's star's would be wearing.
The armed forces of this nation serving in harm's way in Afghanistan have all been left out of the mix as the excitement has been building. Now get the chance to view a few month's of photo's of Marines serving in Afghanistan and be reminded of the sacrifices that have made, and continue to be made on our behalf, so that this nation can continue to enjoy enjoy these previously mentioned events, as well as a plethora of others that our freedoms afford us.
http://militarybriefingbook.com/topic.cfm?topic=Letter%20from%20Iraq%20Afganistan
