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22 Mar 2011 10:58

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World: Robert Gates: Gaddafi’s civilian death toll claims “outright lies”

  • We have been careful about this. It’s almost as though some people here are taking at face value Gaddafi’s claims about the number of civilian casualties, which, as far as I’m concerned, are just outright lies.
  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates • Complaining loudly about reports of civilian casualties caused by Operation Odyssey Dawn. Gates denies the claims. “It’s perfectly evident that the vast majority — if not nearly all civilian casualties —have been inflicted by Gaddafi,” he says. Now, this isn’t to say that he’s wrong … but we have to imagine it’s kind of hard to be careful with anything like a Tomahawk missile. It’s a rough road. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Mar 2011 10:19

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World: Libya: F-15 fighter jet’s crash not the cheapest thing in the world

  • There goes $30 million: When this F-15 hit the ground and crashed last night (sans crew, who were smart/lucky enough to get out), it added another very large line item onto what’s already been a pretty costly endeavor, based simply on its nature as a wartime endeavor — Operation Odyssey Dawn. And that’s before even counting what’s been destroyed in Libya or the sheer human costs. Mechanical woes were to blame for the crash. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Mar 2011 02:17

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U.S.: Kucinich: Obama eligible to be impeached

  • President Obama moved forward without Congress approving. He didn’t have Congressional authorization, he has gone against the Constitution, and that’s got to be said…it would appear on its face to be an impeachable offense.
  • Dennis “The Menace” Kucinich • In regard to US military action in Libya. Kucinich was careful to add that he’s not necessarily advocating impeachment; that’s “a whole separate question.” He’s just noting that impeachment wouldn’t, in his eyes, be inappropriate. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Mar 2011 16:10

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World: Arrested NYT journalists released by Libya unharmed

  • 4 New York Times journalists arrested in Libya have been released source
  • » Remember why journalism is a courageous job? Because every now and then, you risk getting arrested by forces loyal to a tinpot, crackpot dictator, in a country embroiled in violent revolution. Stephen Farrell, Anthony Shadid, Lynsey Addario and Tyler Hicks were all released today, reportedly unharmed, a full six days after they had been scooped up by pro-Gaddafi forces while covering the rebellion on the ground. Never a bad time to appreciate the risks that journalists, especially those reporting from war zones, take in order that we can be more informed.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Mar 2011 15:51

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World: Libyan rebels become more aggressive with no-fly zone intact

  • Thankfully we are now the victorious ones. The strangulation of the Gaddafi regime means we will soon see the fruits of the revolution. The time is coming soon when the regime will end.
  • Abed al-Hafeez Ghoga, official for Libyan rebel’s “National Council” • On the international intervention in Libya, and the weakening of the Gaddafi military. The international coalition that has imposed a no-fly zone over Libya has done so in a relatively quick and successful manner (the range is expected to reach 1000 kilometers soon). Rebel forces pushed out of their Benghazi stronghold in the wake of the strikes, which have neutralized Gaddafi’s air capabilities. The question is, will the pro-Gaddafi combat forces begin to give up the fight in the face of an international military front? If the keystone cracks, so to speak, Gaddafi’s house could come down. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

21 Mar 2011 00:17

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Politics: Max Headroom: Adm. Mike Mullen, a man of half-answers

  • Way to go, Joint Chiefs chairman: The way Adm. Mike Mullen guards his answers about Operation Odyssey Dawn is a sight to see, and it’s good to know that he got a guy like David Gregory — who won’t call you out on your BS — as a talking post. His careful answers, which sidestep any talk of timetables or what’s next, seem to focus on the idea that Gaddafi will ease up under a high level of pressure. (But they have no plans to force him to step down.) This kind of approach hasn’t worked with Gaddafi anytime in the last 40 years. Why now? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Mar 2011 12:18

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World: Arab League: We wanted a no-fly zone in Libya, not airstrikes

  • What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians.
  • Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa • Speaking about the current airstrike campaign in Libya. It’s important to note that the Arab League — who, as you might remember, wanted a no-fly zone in Libya — is speaking out against the current campaign. Moussa says he’s also calling for an emergency Arab League meeting. So this could become more of a “thing” than it already is. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

20 Mar 2011 11:54

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Politics: Adm. Mike Mullen: Operation Odyssey Dawn could end in stalemate

  • Well … that’s reassuring. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” this morning that a stalemate in Libya was possible. He also noted that the mission, by the way, has a short, narrow scope, which, again, contradicts its name. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Mar 2011 11:08

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World: Libya: Gaddafi’s grumpy, calling attacking allied nations “terrorists”

  • You have proven to the world that you are not civilized, that you are terrorists — animals attacking a safe nation that did nothing against you.
  • Muammar Gaddafi • Offering, on Libyan state television, his personal assessment of the countries currently bombing the heck out of Libya. According to CNN, an image of a fist crushing a plane that said “USA” – which kinda looks like this — flashed on the screen. No symbolism in that whatsoever.  source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Mar 2011 19:50

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World: Operation Odyssey Dawn’s cost (already!): Over $62 million

  • 110 number of Tomahawk missiles that have been fired by U.S. forces over Libya so far
  • $569,000 the cost of each of those missiles, according to the U.S. Navy’s own fact file on the missiles source
  • » Oh, and there are other costs, too: It costs a fighter jet thousands of dollars an hour just to get off the ground — for example, according to a 2009 estimate from The Washington Post, an F-22 (one of the types of fighter jets in use over in Libya) costs around $44,000 per flying hour. And that’s not even discussing manpower or intelligence or other technologies in use. War is expensive. Even a couple of hours in.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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