Concerns - in Congress and about rebels | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-03-31 - Philadelphia Inquirer

 WASHINGTON - As frustrated lawmakers sought more clarity on the Libya mission, the White House said Wednesday that it was still assessing options for "all types of assistance" to opposition forces battling Moammar Gadhafi's troops and that no decision had been made on arming the opposition.

Fresh battlefield setbacks are hardening a U.S. view that the poorly equipped opposition is probably incapable of prevailing without decisive Western intervention, a senior U.S. intelligence official told the Associated Press.

Gadhafi's land forces outmatch the opposition and remain capable of threatening the civilian resistance, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The director of national intelligence compared the rebel forces to a "pick-up basketball team."

Some members of Congress expressed frustration because administration officials could not say when the U.S. operation might end.

In an hour-long private meeting for House members, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the military and intelligence heads faced tough questions, including some about the rebels' durability.

"The administration answered as well as they could, given the ambiguity of the situation," Rep. Kevin Brady (R., Texas) said later.

During the meeting, the intelligence chief, James Clapper, compared the rebel forces to a "pick-up basketball team." He indicated that intelligence had identified a few questionable individuals within the rebel ranks, according to lawmakers.

The top NATO commander earlier had noted "flickers" of an al-Qaeda and Hezbollah presence among the rebels but no evidence of significant numbers within the opposition group's leadership.

Lawmakers, especially Republicans, are smarting from what they consider a lack of consultation and Obama's decision not to seek congressional authorization to use force.

The briefings - the Senate had a separate session later Wednesday - came 12 days after the no-fly zone began. Obama did speak to congressional leaders the day before the military action began.

"I understand how evil Gadhafi is," said Rep. Greg Walden (R., Ore.). "I don't understand the unwillingness to come to Congress first."

Republicans, however, don't speak with one voice.

Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.), Obama's 2008 presidential rival, said the president could not wait for Congress to take even a few days to debate the use of force. "There would have been nothing left to save in Benghazi," the rebels' de facto capital, he said.

Obama, in his address to the nation Monday, defended his decision to deploy forces to prevent a slaughter of Libyan civilians.

Freshman Rep. Justin Amash (R., Mich.) attracted a few cosponsors for his bill this week that would end the U.S. role in Libya unless Obama gets congressional authorization. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Ohio) is seeking support for his effort to cut off money.

The top NATO commander said the U.S. military role would be scaled back in the near term. "We today in NATO took over the mission and we are reducing the U.S. component of it measurably, and I think you'll see our allies increasingly engaged," U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis told the House Armed Services Committee.

Still, committee members expressed reservations.

"It is a mission that I'm concerned as to whether or not its goals are clear," said Rep. Michael Turner, (R., Ohio). "And also I'm a little concerned and believe it's unclear as to who we are supporting in this conflict."

An Associated Press-GfK poll, conducted in the days leading up to the president's speech, found the country split on U.S. involvement in military actions in Libya, with 48 percent approving and 50 percent disapproving.

The Pentagon put the cost so far at $550 million. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D., Ore.) said officials estimated the cost for the U.S. could be $40 million a month depending on the length of the operation.