Americas

NATO military leader: “NATO is not in Libya to decide the future of the Libyan people”

By Daniel Michaels and Charlse Duxbury, the Wall Street Journal

From Daniel Michaels and Charlse Duxbury, the Wall Street Journal:  Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, chairman of the NATO Military Council and the alliance’s most senior military official, said the NATO operation, dubbed Unified Protectorate, entails enforcing an arms-embargo and no-fly zone and protecting civilians

Defense shuffle: U.S. set to name new military commanders

By Laura Rozen, the Envoy

From Laura Rozen, the Envoy:  David Petraeus, perhaps the most celebrated American general of his generation, is likely to leave his job as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan this summer, multiple defense officials say.

NATO in Libya, Memories of Kosovo

By Sean Kay, the Washington Note

From Sean Kay, the Washington Note:  The Kosovo war is the best case in point to think about relative to the current crisis in Libya.

NATO Warns Rebels Against Attacking Civilians

By Thom Shanker and Charlie Savage, the New York Times

From Thom Shanker and Charlie Savage, the New York Times:  Members of the NATO alliance have sternly warned the rebels in Libya not to attack civilians as they push against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi

House intelligence chairman will block covert arms to Libyan rebels

By Josh Rogin, the Cable

From Josh Rogin, the Cable:  Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) said in a late Wednesday interview that the Obama administration’s top national security officials were deeply split on whether arming the rebels was a good idea.

Factions within Obama’s war cabinet battle over pace of Afghanistan drawdown

By Rajiv Chandrasekaran,  the Washington Post

From Rajiv Chandrasekaran,  the Washington Post:  Military leaders and President [Barack] Obama’s civilian advisers are girding for battle over the size and pace of the planned pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this summer

U.S. and Britain have deployed clandestine forces in Libya

By Mark Hosenball, Reuters

From Mark Hosenball, Reuters:  President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing covert U.S. government support for rebel forces seeking to oust Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

NATO chief: No military solution to Libya crisis

By David Brunnstrom, Reuters

From David Brunnstrom, Reuters:  NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Tuesday he would not guess how long the alliance’s military mission would last in Libya, but there could be no solely military solution.

EU, not NATO, should lead on Libya

By Sarwar Kashmeri, the Foreign Policy Association

Washington in Fierce Debate on Arming Libyan Rebels

By the New York Times

From the New York Times:  The Obama administration is engaged in a fierce debate over whether to supply weapons to the rebels in Libya, senior officials said on Tuesday