Pentagon: Libyan rebels desperately need help, but don't look to US
| Washington
Libyan rebels are disorganized, on the defensive, and in desperate need of training, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told Congress on Thursday.
But none of that is likely to change the Pentagon鈥檚 operations or the White House鈥檚 political calculus in the weeks ahead, he added. The US military鈥檚 mission remains 鈥渕uch more limited鈥� than America鈥檚 stated political objective 鈥� namely, ousting Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
The US military will not provide any troops on the ground in Libya, either to aid operations or to train the rebels, Secretary Gates assured lawmakers. 鈥淣ot as long as I鈥檓 in this job.鈥�
That said, he conceded that rebels could use some help if they hope to overthrow Col. Qaddafi. 鈥淲hat the opposition needs is some training, some command and control, and some organization,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty much a pickup ballgame at this point.鈥�
But that training will not come from US troops, Gates stressed repeatedly in his testimony before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. NATO allies could take this role, he suggested. 鈥淔rankly, there are many countries that can do that,鈥� he said.
In the wake of calls from some lawmakers to arm the rebels, he noted that the opposition already has 鈥渟ubstantial numbers鈥� of small arms, including AK-47s, thanks to raids on military depots. If the NATO coalition decides to give rebels any more sophisticated weapons, however, they would need on-the-ground training in how to use them, too.
Who are the rebels?
Right now, US intelligence officials are busy trying to figure out who, precisely, makes up the Libyan opposition. 鈥淲e know a handful of the leaders 鈥� we have some biographical information,鈥� Gates told the Senate committee. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any information 鈥� that I鈥檓 aware of 鈥� of who led the uprising in the cities of the west,鈥� he said, adding that these events may have been 鈥渓argely spontaneous.鈥�
But the Pentagon knows little else, Gates said. Even the term 鈥渙pposition鈥� is a misnomer, he pointed out, since it implies a unity of purpose in the groups currently battling Qaddafi's forces. In fact, the resistance 鈥渋s very disparate, it is very scattered, and probably each element has its own agenda,鈥� Gates said.
America's two goals
The United States has its own political objective, not to be confused with its "much more limited" military agenda, which focuses on supporting the NATO mission 鈥� with intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and other technical capabilities. 鈥淵ou could have a situation in which you achieve the military goal,鈥� Gates said, 鈥渂ut not achieve the political goal鈥� of ousting Qaddafi.
Nor should the US military take up regime change, he added. 鈥淲e鈥檝e tried regime change before. Sometimes it鈥檚 worked, sometimes it鈥檚 taken ten years.鈥�
Not that the US military can鈥檛 help move Qaddafi along, Gates noted. Indeed, unlike past no-fly zones in Iraq, the US military is making a concerted effort to destroy Qaddafi鈥檚 military through bombings.
鈥淲e will be continuing attacks on his military, on his military stores, on his logistics,鈥� Gates said.
As the Libyan army cannot resupply itself, NATO partners hope to drive Qaddafi into increasingly dire straits. At some point, Qaddafi's military will 鈥渉ave to face the question of whether they are prepared, over time, to be destroyed by these air attacks,鈥� Gates said, 鈥渙r decide that it鈥檚 time for him to go.鈥�
