The Pentagon is, in the words of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, 鈥渓ooking at a lot of options and contingencies.鈥� But it has already put one plan into motion, moving 鈥渟everal鈥� US Navy ships closer to Libya. The ships 鈥渨ill be entering the Mediterranean shortly,鈥� Mr. Gates said in a press briefing Tuesday.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has tried to ratchet down the threats, saying, 鈥淭here is not any pending military action involving US naval vessels.鈥� Gates, too, emphasized that the ships heading towards the Mediterranean would help provide 鈥渃apability for both emergency evacuations and humanitarian relief鈥� in Libya
But simply moving a US Navy carrier strike group 鈥渋n the direction of Libya is a very, very powerful signal,鈥� says Raymond of the US Army War College. 鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 not going to launch a single aircraft, but the fact that it鈥檚 moving there and is on-station and able to do so can be a significant message.鈥�
