On 2011-04-01, at 3:26 PM, Doug Henwood wrote:
> [So much for all the heated commentary about a new war. But do they have any idea what they're doing?]
>
> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110401/ap_on_re_us/us_us_libya_50
>
> US ending its air combat role in Libya
> By ROBERT BURNS, AP National Security Writer – Fri Apr 1, 3:47 am ET
>
> WASHINGTON – The Pentagon is about to pull its attack planes out of the international air campaign in Libya, hoping NATO partners can take up the slack.
>
> The announcement Thursday drew incredulous reactions from some in Congress who wondered aloud why the Obama administration would bow out of a key element of the strategy for protecting Libyan civilians and crippling Moammar Gadhafi's army.
They've probably concluded, on the events of the past week, that they need a ceasefire in order to buy time to equip and train the disorganized and outgunned anti-Gadhafi irregulars. And it also may be a condition laid down by emissaries from Tripoli engaging in back channel talks with NATO about ending the war and reconstituting the regime.