Washington – President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, government officials told Reuters on Wednesday.
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Obama signed the order, known as a presidential “finding”, within the last two or three weeks, according to four U.S. government sources familiar with the matter.
Such findings are a principal form of presidential directive used to authorize secret operations by the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA and the White House declined immediate comment.
News that Obama had given the authorization surfaced as the President and other U.S. and allied officials spoke openly about the possibility of sending arms supplies to Gaddafi’s opponents, who are fighting better-equipped government forces.
The United States is part of a coalition, with NATO members and some Arab states, which is conducting air strikes on Libyan government forces under a U.N. mandate aimed at protecting civilians opposing Gaddafi.
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In interviews with American TV networks on Tuesday, Obama said the objective was for Gaddafi to “ultimately step down” from power. He spoke of applying “steady pressure, not only militarily but also through these other means” to force Gaddafi out.
Obama said the U.S. had not ruled out providing military hardware to rebels. “It’s fair to say that if we wanted to get weapons into Libya, we probably could. We’re looking at all our options at this point,” the President told ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.
U.S. officials monitoring events in Libya say that at present, neither Gaddafi’s forces nor the rebels, who have asked the West for heavy weapons, appear able to make decisive gains.
While U.S. and allied airstrikes have seriously damaged Gaddafi’s military forces and disrupted his chain of command, officials say, rebel forces remain disorganized and unable to take full advantage of western military support.
The fact is whether rebel schmebel President Obama’s military action in Lybia has put a damper on the unstable oil market and if not for the military intervention a gal would have spiked quite a bit. Druggies are addicted to cocian and amphetamines and American across the board are addicted to their monstrous SUVs and not sharing cars. The oil market abhors uncertainty and even though the Lybian oil production does not come close to the production in Saudi Arabia instability in any oil productive country makes the market jittery and the response is speculation with price hikes.
the US intelligence admitted that Al Keida is involved with the rebels. do we know if they’ll, one day, turn around and use the arms against us?
furthermore, the rebels may fall to Ghadafi fighters and surrender their weapons to them.
“Obama Authorizes Secret Support For Libya Rebels” shouts the headline to this story.
Yeah, so secret that Reuter’s and the rest of the world know about it, too.
As more and more evidence comes in that they are very loyal and possibly even al qaida, this guy is giving them help!?!??! What happened to protecting the country? He should be brought up on charges!!
Some of these rebels are from Afghanistan which are fighting against the Americans there. This INEPT president is now arming them IS he crazy, inept or just a communist
The rebels control oil drilling towns.
CAn’t they use that oil money to buy their own weapons?
What the hey are we helping them with weapons for?
What’s wrong with us?