Pentagon: Libyan rebels desperately need help, but don’t look to US
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’s operations or the White House’s political calculus in the weeks ahead, he added. The US military’s mission remains “much more limited” than America’s stated political objective – 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. “Not as long as I’m in this job.”