Alaska’s Congressional delegation has concerns over the U.S.
mission in Libya – and questions about the end-goal. Last night President Obama addressed the
nation about his decision 10 days ago to take military action in the North
African country. The U.S. and NATO are enforcing
a no-fly zone over Libyan skies. While
the President said NATO is expected to take over more of the operation this
week, the U.S. is expending its planes, missiles, and hundreds of millions of
dollars.
It’s a Republican
member of the delegation, Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has the warmest words for
Obama’s speech.
Murkowski says the
U.S. and other leading nations can’t stand by and watch the slaughter of
innocent civilians. But she has grave
concerns about what happens next – and wants to make sure the U.S. isn’t mired
in Libya for a long time.
Just what happens next is also of concern to Senator Mark
Begich, and he says the U.S. cannot be the world’s peacekeepers and police
force.
The Democrat says he has “strong reservations” about the U-S
action.
The Obama Administration will make its case before Senate
and House Committees later this week – and Begich expects to ask questions at
an Armed Services Committee hearing.
Congressman Don Young says he has “no love of Colonel
Moammar Gaddafi” and thinks the Libyan leader should have been in his words
“eliminated” a long time ago. But he
does not think the U.S. can afford this effort.
Young still stands behind his votes supporting the Iraq War
and says Saddam Hussein was a leader that needed to be removed. He says however that the U.S. should not be
in Afghanistan, and says it’s unwinnable.
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