Obama's Growing Military Problem

Last week, General David Petraeus expressed serious concern over Obama's 'aggressive' draw down of troops in Afghanistan in front of a Senate Armed Forces Committee. When Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) tried to get Petraeus to admit that if he had serious reservations about the President's orders he would resign, Petraeus forcefully responded that he is 'not a quitter.' As that was happening, U.S. Admiral Samuel Locklear, who commands the NATO Joing Operation in Naples, Italy launched quite the politically incorrect salvo and all but called Obama a liar.

Via the Foreign Policy Cable:

The top U.S. admiral involved in the Libya war admitted to a U.S. congressman that NATO forces are trying to kill Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi. The same admiral also said he anticipated the need for ground troops in Libya after Qaddafi falls, according to the lawmaker.

House Armed Services Committee member Mike Turner (R-OH) told The Cable that U.S. Admiral Samuel Locklear, commander of the NATO Joint Operations Command in Naples, Italy, told him last month that NATO forces are actively targeting and trying to kill Qaddafi, despite the fact that the Obama administration continues to insist that "regime change" is not the goal and is not authorized by the U.N. mandate authorizing the war.

"The U.N. authorization had three components: blockade, no fly zone, and civil protection. And Admiral Locklear explained that the scope of civil protection was being interpreted to permit the removal of the chain of command of Qaddafi's military, which includes Qaddafi," Turner said. "He said that currently is the mission as NATO has defined."

"I believed that we were [targeting Qaddafi] but that confirmed it," Turner said. "I believe the scope that NATO is pursuing is beyond what is contemplated in civil protection, so they're exceeding the mission."

That wasn't all. Look at how simple it is to read between the lines...

Later in the same briefing, Turner said, Locklear maintained that the NATO mission does not include regime change. "Well, certainly if you remove Qaddafi it will affect regime change," Turner said that he replied. "[Locklear] did not have an answer to that."

Locklear also said that, upon Qaddafi's removal, ground troops would be needed during the immediate period of instability, Turner said. In fact, Locklear said publicly that a "small force" might be necessary following the collapse of the Qaddafi regime in a May 30 conference in Varna, Bulgaria.

Ground troops in Libya? While we have Gen. Petraeus all but telling Congress that Obama is making a huge mistake by pulling so many troops out of Afghanistan, we have a Navy Admiral admitting to a congressman that Gadhafi is being targeted and that we will need boots on the ground there to clean up the mess.

Click HERE for video of Petraeus with Levin.

Here is a bonus from Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) on Meet the Press. He seems to be making it clear that he doesn't approve of how Obama is handling the situation in Libya.

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