Gates mum on CIA moves in Libya

Defence Secretary Robert Gates says the United States has no plans to send ground troops into Libya.

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Washington - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is not close to a military breaking point despite nearly two weeks of coalition strikes that have degraded his fighting power, the top United States military officer told Congress on Thursday.

The comments by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, came as lawmakers questioned whether the United States might deepen its involvement in Libya, where poorly organised rebels are struggling against better armed loyalist forces.

Revelations that President Barack Obama has signed an order authorising covert US support for rebel forces fanned fears of mission creep among critics who warn that US military is already stretched by a decade of war.

“With Iraq and Afghanistan already occupying a considerable share of American resources, I sincerely hope that this is not the start of a third elongated conflict,” said the Republican chairman of House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, Howard McKeon.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates, testifying alongside Mullen before the committee, assured Congress that the United States had no plans to send in ground forces or expand the military mission to include ousting Gaddafi from power.

“Deposing the (Gaddafi) regime, as welcome as that eventuality would be, is not part of the military mission,” Gates said in testimony.

But he declined comment on reports of CIA activity in Libya. US officials have told Reuters CIA operatives have been in the country for some time gathering intelligence on rebels, but are not actively supporting the rebels.

Proponents of greater involvement in Libya say coalition allies should arm and train the rebels, but Gates played down prospects that the United States would assist them - a job he said was better left to allies.

“In terms of providing that training, in terms of providing assistance to them, frankly, there are many countries that can do that,” Gates said.

“That's not a unique capability for the United States. And, as far as I'm concerned, somebody else should do that.”

Mullen said coalition strikes had taken a toll on Gaddafi's overall forces, but signaled a long struggle ahead.

“We have actually fairly seriously degraded his military capabilities... We've attrited his overall forces at about the 20- to 25-percent level,” Mullen said.

“That does not mean he's about to break from a military standpoint, because that's not the case.”

Lawmakers have complained that Obama did not adequately consult them before deciding to effectively launch an air war on Libya, and some said they would have refused to give their backing to what appeared to be an open-ended conflict.

“This mission is unclear and the goals are unclear,” said Representative Michael Turner, a Republican.

“If you placed a resolution on this floor today for a vote for approval... I doubt that it would pass. And I certainly would not be voting for it,” he said.

Gates and Mullen acknowledged the limited US intelligence on the rebels who might eventually take control of the country.

“To be honest, other than a relative handful of leaders, we don't have much visibility into those who have risen against Gaddafi,” Gates said, describing them as a “disparate” and “scattered” movement with competing agendas.

Rebel spokesmen have said too much reliance on foreign military support would undermine their credibility and have stressed they do not want foreign “boots on the ground”. But they have appealed for arms supplies, especially equipment to knock out Gaddafi's heavy weapons and tanks.

Mullen estimated that there were only 1 000 militarily trained fighters.

Gates, who has openly speculated about cracks within the Gaddafi regime, predicted political and economic measures would ultimately pave the way for Gaddafi's ousting, over time, by his own people.

To that end, the White House cheered the defection of Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, saying it delivered a “significant blow” to Gaddafi. It urged Gaddafi's other aides to “get on the right side of history”. - Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/gates-mum-on-cia-moves-in-libya-1.1050442

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