The attacks by the USA and allies on Libya are having a familiar sound to them and not change we were promised in some ways.

The Obama administration debated on the issue of whether to do anything for a number of weeks. We heard for a while that Gadhafi must go and then we heard if he would just do a cease fire nothing would be done and we heard that if he did not stop drastic action would be taken and then we got the no-fly zone and he was told to cease fire or drastic action but then the president told us at same time that no US troops.

Now the no-fly zone has been created by attacking Libya using principally American pilots and plans and commanded by Americans and we are told we will move aside quickly. However what is the exit plan?

Obama continuously attacked Bush on having no exit plan for Iraq or Afghanistan and that was why he said we bobbed down there and never have gotten bin Ladan. Now Obama has led us into Libya because Gadhafi has attacked his people (sound like Hussein attacked Kurds), he has WMD supplies (but gave up nukes in the beginning of Iraq) and we have done a massive display of missiles and precision bombs. How long will we be there? What is plan to leave? If this is not unilateral (like claims on Iraq and Afghanistan) why is once again the US providing the commanders, most of troops and equipment and other countries just providing a little (remember Afghanistan was and is a NATO defense from 9/11 and that other countries were in Iraq with us principally Britain). The security Council approved doing no-fly zone for Obama but remember that the UN also did not disapprove the action in Iraq after speech by Colin Powell that he ha been criticized for ever since.

Obama has taken an action of war and must do as previous presidents and comply with the Constitution and the War Powers Act and go to Congress immediately to get authorization. Congress also needs to take charge and demand he do this. (between the president and Congress we have about 536 leaders in DC and they need to lead.). Afghanistan was different in that we attacked there going after the ones that had led the attack on 9/11. Libya has not attacked the US in any form recently and had made settlements on the Scotland bombing. This is not a defense of Gadhafi's leadership (or lack of), but when the US goes to war we need to have the action approved by Congress and know what our goal is (also known as exit strategy). World War II it was to soundly defeat Hitler, and Japan. In Afghanistan it was to defeat al Qaeda and bin Ladan and prevent another 9/11. In Viet Nam we were never sure and Libya is beginning to sound the same. If we intend to support the rebels to overthrow Gadhafi then lets say so. Obama has said he must go but now Obama says this is not for regime change or nation building, if not what is it for? The way it is now does not appear to protect the reasons other give and that is to protect the oil supply, It makes that oil impossible to get.

Dwight