James Clapper, the US national intelligence director, has told U.S. Senate today that Muammar Gaddafi will defeat the rebels. That seems to be the Obama Administration’s wishful thinking. Some senators were furious at Clapper’s comments and asked for his resignation. The Libyan people are pleading for help in liberating themselves from a mass murderer, and instead of providing some help (no-fly zone), the Obama White House comes out with a moral boosting statement for Gaddafi forces.
(BBC) — James Clapper told the US Senate that Col Gaddafi’s superior military force would prevail over the long term.
In Washington, Mr Clapper, who is the top intelligence adviser to US President Barack Obama, told the Senate he saw no evidence Col Gaddafi would step down from power. He warned Col Gaddafi’s military was stronger than had previously been described.
In response to calls from some senior US Senate figures to establish a no-fly zone, Mr Clapper said Col Gaddafi’s air defences were “quite substantial.”
(Fox News) — U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, in an exclusive interview with Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron, called for Gen. James Clapper to resign or be fired as Director of National Intelligence, citing his comments before the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning, on which Graham sits.
Graham told Cameron that he lacks confidence in Clapper’s understanding of his job, that President Obama should “repudiate” Clapper’s remarks, and that this is the third time Clapper has faltered in this way. “Three strikes and you’re out,” Graham said.
(Politico.com) — “The situation in Libya remains tenuous and the director’s comments today on Qadhafi’s ‘staying power’ are not helpful to our national security interests. His comments will make the situation more difficult for those opposing Qadhafi,” Graham said in a statement released a few hours after his comments to Fox. “It also undercuts our national efforts to bring about the desired result of Libya moving from dictator to democracy.”
15 thoughts on “Obama intelligence chief says Gaddafi will defeat rebels”
His sorry ass must be fired now!
What then? If left to themselves with out any support, Gaddafi who has accumulated all the human and material resources for the last 42 years may defeat the unprofessional and resourceless opposition. But that is only postponing the tragedy for a while. But what is defeat in the first place? Both sides will surely come out defeated but with one side more defeated than the pother who may go back to collect more power and more force to come back for the final victory.
Years ago Gaddafi massacred some 1200 Libyans in cold blood and went back to his palace to sleep with his intoxicating victory and in peace. But the injustice waited until this very day and exploded in to his face. Win or lose he can not unmake the fatal and deeply traumatic damages inflicted on him. The shock and the trauma will always haunt him down the line to the grave. The opposition’s disorganization and lack coherent and centralized policy is the cause of Gaddafi’s organized victory if at all he may come to be victorious.
The civillian politician, Mr. Lindsay Graham is much better than the so called advisor to the president. The military power assessment is in contrast to the logical assessments we have heard so far.
This is definitely the general acting as a politician, making political calculations than military observations.
The US policy is guided by such incompetent people. That’s why US has lacked connection to the hearts and minds of people in the middle east and Africa. This assessment emboldens the tyrant and weakens the opposition. What side does the US administration chooses really? Besides the customary diplomatic leap service does the US administration wants democracy to prevail or some times democracy is too expensive?
For us, the Africans, what USA want is clear, all the worlds natural resourse all for AMERICA, including Ethiopias. Gaddafi is mass murderer if you are a fan of western media outlets but it is his people who saved him from falling over, now if we come to Ethiopia USA like Meles to stay while we are crying for change for the last 20 years. The irony is, we based our undrestanding of the world through their eyes. Is Meles a mass murderer, Obama dont think so.
Obama’s doctrine is no doctrine,let me explain, he will wait until it is clear who is going to win then he will back the winner. This has been the Obama doctrine, domestic and foreign, instead of leading he is led by circumstances.
I have said it before that this desert mad dog Gaddafi will not go down that easily like the pompous Saddam. First of all, the west is not united to go after him and if they do, they will run into being called aggressors and it is also something that is classified as an ‘internal’ affair. We should all remember that this desert mad dog was in the middle of mending his affinity with the west in earnest for the last ten years or so. He was serenaded by Beyoncé, Usher and many other artists in recent times. He was just satisfied in oppressing his people with in his boundaries. And all of a sudden this bonfire of people’s revolution erupted in his neighborhood and made its way into his front yard. He has the resources to fund his war effort for a while with willing arms suppliers standing by such as the former satellites of the Soviet Union. On the other hand, it is not difficult to see how under organized the opposition is. I hope and pray I am wrong but that country is destined to be marred with awfully brutal civil war. I mean brutal. And I will not blame Obama a bit on this one for not sending the marines over there to help the opposition. But I will highly commend the CIA if it sends its operatives to help organize the ragtag opposition fighters as long as they are free of any Mujahideen elements or influence among them. If external interference is needed, there is a huge Egyptian army next door shooting a breeze and gulping ‘battata’ and halwa by the ton. They are getting fat for doing nothing and they need to burn that huge calorie they are consuming three times a day. May be four times, Ok. Let them get in and help their ‘brothers’ in Libya.
They should fire him and give the job to Collin Powell for he is more qualified to lie under similar circumstances when US oil interest is at stake. As for the Libyan peaceful protesters turned armed rebels in the demonstration that have since become a raging civil war, they are merely a pawn in the global game of chess. Eat your heart out Bahraini, Saudi and Yemeni protesters !
In fact brother president Barack Obama and sister foreign minister Hillary Clinton and the entire administration have solidly and repeatedly thrown their weight and support behind the Libyan change and against Gaddafi’s 42 years of brutal dictatorship, but of course with exception of the renegade individual intelligence chief, James Clapper clapping his hands and rehearsing his spring time solo swan song without any orchestra in sight.
Why is he so much agitated and delving in to pro Gaddaffi propaganda campaign just like that American envoy who was sent to Egypt for the assessment of the Egyptian uprising when Hosni Mubarak was under pressure but in Egypt turned himself in to Mubarakist or Mubarakism, acting as Mubarak’s advocate in demanding that the Egyptian dictator stays in power until the end of 2011 but came to see and feel the pain of victory by the people’s power against Mubarak dictatorship.
So did act in a renegade way and through solo singing when the former U.S. Army commander of forces in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal who was fired for making disparaging comments about his civilian superiors. But at least in his case he was simply applying for an ordinary transfer to a more peaceful and relaxing civilian job except that he used a little bit of an extraordinary technique of gaining attention for his application which he left for consideration through public media.
And it worked; since he is not more fighting with invisible mountain magic bulls. How can he fight effectively and win a day for himself when he can neither see nor hear from them in a normal and formal worldly way but the bulls van see and hear him easily? Just kidding though for the purpose of melting the ice from our faces as the spring snow on the ground starts to melt away too. :)
U.S.A foregin policy is to deal with one dictator wether his Meles, Gaddafi or Mussevini they don’t give a damn about other countries Democracy. Deal or No Deal….if not look Somalia,Afganistan, and Iraq
In spite of the apparent differences of opinion between the intelligence chief, and law makers over a range of current issues, the U.S will likely build its case for the enforcement of no fly zone in Libya. Some of the reasons why U.S is slow to act to the situation in Libya could be fear of backlash from Muslims across the world.Also,the Libyans themselves seem to be divided over this issues, some favoring the use of all means of force, and the majority opting only the enforcement of no fly zone. Still, the availability of accurate intelligence must have been another consideration for the delay. And we have to remember war brings with it unintended devastation-no one can promise a net victory in advance. In all this U.S policy makers might be weighing all avenues and attempting to balance the type of measure they are willing to take before they leap to action. Gaddafi is a wounded tiger; he has caved in, and his defiance might come to an end suddenly. In the coming days we might expect to see the situation taking different direction.
I don’t think it is Obama’s wishful thinking, as a painful as it is…it is a realistic assessment. America has three wars going on, no one wants another war, which is not in the best national interest of America. Therefore, this critic is uncalled for. “Damn if you do, damn if you don’t ” as the saying goes.
Clapper or Crapper, this guy is national security advisor? Obama geting advice from such an air head, what can we expect. Anyway, the outcome will depend on the will and determination of the Libyan people not Crapper.
Obama sucks!
The Arab League’s united stand against Gaddafi must have been a disappointment to Obama
Obama’s doctrine is no doctrine, he will wait N SEE who is going to win then he will back the winner. This has been the Obama doctrine, domestic and foreign, instead of leading he is led by Crapper
Clapper should be CIC for AMERICA