Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Obama's Libya Coalition Crumbles

President Obama keeps swearing that within a few days, we're handing off the Libyan War to our "allies" and/or "coalition partners", or whatever you wish to call the feckless European membership of NATO.

But what happens if there is no coalition to hand the war off to? Germany has decided it doesn't want to play anymore, so they are taking their weapons and going home:

Today the German defence ministry announced Berlin had pulled out of any military operations in the Mediterranean.
A ministry spokesman said two frigates and two other ships with a crew of 550 would be reverted to German command.
Some 60 to 70 German troops participating in NATO-operated AWACS surveillance operations in the Mediterranean would also be withdrawn, according to the ministry.

Berlin isn't participating in the operation to impose a no-fly zone in Libya and abstained on the U.N. resolution authorising it.

Meanwhile, five minutes into the war, the Brits are already running out of ammo:

The Navy could run out of Tomahawk missiles after a fifth of the Navy stockpile has been used against Libya, sources disclosed yesterday.

Defence insiders say as many as 12 of the weapons have been fired from the hunter–killer submarine Triumph in the past four days.

If this is correct, the Navy will have used up to 20 per cent of its 64 Tomahawks in the opening salvos of the war, leading to fears that it is "burning through" its armoury.

The situation could become an embarrassment for the Government if the submarine were the only vessel within range of a number of targets but could not fulfil the mission.

"Could"? It seems as if one truth has been laid bare: The European Continent is no longer in position to defend itself without the United States of America. And we should never let them forget that.

But back to the bigger issue: Barack Obama is about to find himself in quite the quandary. His "war coalition" is about to disintegrate, coincidentally at the exact moment they were supposed to take over the heavy lifting from the United States, leaving him - and the American people, and their armed forces - holding the bag.

He will be left to prosecute the war against Qaddafi virtually alone, or we will be forced to retreat in humbling defeat.

Knowing how Obama feels about the nation that elected him president, it's not to difficult to guess which option he will choose.

We'll have to guess, because the president is unavailable right now. Not much of a worker is Barack Obama, so while he sends boys off to die in a war he entered as an afterthought, he's doing what he does best: Partying with his ugly-ass wife:


Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, participate in a reception in La Moneda Palace in Santiago, Chile, last night

God help us all....

5 comments:

Conservative Libertine said...

It seems as if one truth has been laid bare: The European Continent is no longer in position to defend itself without the United States of America. And we should never let them forget that.

Absolutely correct. It really is no surprise though.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704631504575531722614613144.html

In 2002, at the NATO summit in Prague, the allies endorsed a target for each member to spend at least 2% of its GDP on defense. But in 2009, aside from the United States, only four of NATO's 28 members met that target: the United Kingdom, France, Greece and Albania—with France and Albania just barely meeting it. In comparison, America's defense burden stands at 4.9% of GDP, or if war costs are subtracted, 3.6%.

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Mr. Mcgranor said...

Amen, score one for the opposition of nation building.

James said...

Great post ruined by unnecessary ad hominem attack. Who are you-Bill Maher?

The JerseyNut said...

Good God, no!

Sorry, but I do have a reflexive disgust for Michelle Obama. The quintessential liberal elitist, she spends wildy, dresses extravegently, travels extensively, gouges herself on the finest wines and foodstuffs, and works tirelessly to make sure no one else can enjoy the luxuries she indulges herself in.

Well, maybe that's not entirely true. If you think like her and act like her and work for her and her husband, maybe you too will be allowed a taste of what was once up for grabs for any American willing to actually work for it.

She is an American Marie Antoinette, and I will not hesitate to mock her for it.

She is ugly - on the inside, where it counts. And if you've ever seen her "angry face", well, it's the equivilent of a glimpse inside her soul. And it is not a beautiful place, and you can see it on her homely face. And yes, the fact the media is constantly trying to sell me that this woman is somehow the smartest, sexiest, most accomplished First Lady in our history likely does activate my gag reflex as well...

But your point about an ad hominen attack is duly noted. Perhaps I should limit my Michelle-bashing to pieces dedicated to the subject. But it won't be easy...