What Are We Doing Libya?

“What are we doing in Libya?” That’s the question I’ve heard from many Virginians. And, President Obama’s long overdue address failed to answer many of Americans’ key questions about the military action in Libya. While we stand with the courageous men and women of our armed services serving in North Africa, both they and their families, as well as the American people, ought to be told clearly by their Commander-in-Chief what their mission and our military objectives are in Libya. Instead President Obama has been more attentive to getting the United Nations and foreign approval before getting the support of the American people; he has not stated a clear goal to the mission; and his administration continues to give mixed signals with Defense Secretary Robert Gates stating that Libya is  “not a vital national interest to the United States”.  These are all important concerns that needed to be promptly resolved before, not after, we engaged an American military already decisively committed in Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.