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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Morning Scoop - Why Libya Is America's War
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All of the squabbling among the allies over Libya ignores the simple fact that this is America's war. The Daily Beast's Stephen Carter says no one else has the firepower it takes for humanitarian interventions. Remember the opening salvo of the war, those 124 cruise missiles launched against the Libyan air-defense systems? According to the headlines, they were fired by American and British warships. Indeed they were. The Americans fired 122. The British fired two.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Diane Sawyer Tuesday that Muammar Gaddafi's confidants have reached out on his behalf to explore a possible exit. But on the ground, Gaddafi's forces appear to be winning, carrying out assaults on the towns of Misurata, Ajdabiya, and Zintan despite airstrikes by Western forces. Rebel fighters, meanwhile, appear to have made few gains since the aerial assault began. On Wednesday, the U.S., Britain, and France will propose to NATO that it take over Libya operations. All 28 NATO members will have to agree to the proposal.
Can the U.S. afford a war with Libya? Analysts say America has spent about $225 million so far firing Tomahawk missiles over Gaddafi's land, and costs could ultimately balloon to $1 billion to establish and maintain a no-fly zone. Just the fighter jet that went down in Libya Tuesday could cost $150 million to replace. The Pentagon hasn't given an official cost estimate of the intervention, and it's paying for it from existing budgets—but at some point the Defense Department may be forced to request additional funds from Congress.
Tokyo's government has recommended that infants not drink tap water after levels of radioactive iodine were found to be double the recommended limit. The iodine levels are still below the recommended level for adults. The Japanese government has also warned against eating vegetables from Fukushima, the prefecture where the nuclear plant was destabilized by the earthquake and tsunami.
The U.S. is set to approve new Gulf deepwater drilling permits within in the next week—moves that have the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's top drilling regulator, Michael Bromwich, uneasy. While Bromwich complimented some companies for new safety measures, he also said, "There are other operators who, with surprising and disturbing speed, have seemed all-too-ready to shrug off Deepwater Horizon as a complete aberration, a perfect storm, one in a million." The U.S. has approved four deepwater drilling permits in recent weeks.
Officials have recommended that infants not drink tap water after levels of radioactive iodine were found to be double the recommended limit. Lennox Samuels reports from Japan.
Tim Pawlenty's Obstacle Course by John Avlon With Super Tuesday less than a year away, John Avlon handicaps the first mainstream 2012 GOP candidate to officially explore a run. Can T-Paw overcome his mixed record and flip-flops?
10 Biggest Interview Meltdowns by Marlow Stern Chris Brown reportedly smashed a window after being questioned about his domestic-violence incident with Rihanna on Good Morning America. From Tom Cruise to Björk, see the top 10 interviews gone awry!
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