Gingrich bashes 'weak' Obama's leadership in Libya
By Daily Mail ReporterLast updated at 7:06 PM on 19th March 2011
Newt Gingrich has slammed Barack Obama for his lack of leadership over Libya as Western jets - led by France - bombed Muammar Gaddafi's forces today.
The former House Speaker, who is considering a presidential run in 2012, mocked Mr Obama yesterday for publicising his Final Four pics as Libyan rebels battled for their country.
He attacked the President for making America look 'weak and uncertain', and said former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan would have been far more decisive.
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Who are we missing... U.S., European and Arab leaders pose for a family photo at the Elysee Palace in Paris after a summit on Libya today. Hillary Clinton is there but Barack Obama is in Brazil
Oye! Barack Obama enjoys a glass of wine with Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff at a lunch in Brasilia today
The group included British Prime Minister David Cameron, French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Canadian premier Stephen Harper, and leaders of several Arab states.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is at the summit to represent America. But Mr Obama is thousands of miles away in Brasilia, where he has taken his family to help him promote U.S. trade links.
When asked about the UN resolution authorising military intervention in Libya, Mr Gingrich blasted the President, who publicised his picks for the winner's of this year's March Madness college basketball tournament earlier this week.
'I was, frankly, very disappointed that [Nicolas] Sarkozy did not share with us his Final Four picks,' Mr Gingrich told reporters.
'And i think it's his failure to understand the Final Four that allowed him to focus on Libya.
'We look weak': Newt Gingrich speaks to reporters in Washington yesterday
He said it was 'ironic' that Mr Obama had called for Gaddafi to go on March 3 - but waited until now to back a no-fly zone.
'This is the opposite of Eisenhower and Reagan, neither of whom would have held a press conference and both of whom would have made sure he [Gaddafi] was gone,' Mr Gingrich said.
'This idea that we posture, we talk, we have diplomatic meetings ... this is very weak," he said. "It makes us look weak and uncertain. It increases the danger in the Persian Gulf.'
American forces have not yet joined in with the military action in Libya today.
One military official told the AP the U.S. intends to limit its involvement - at least in the initial stages - to helping protect French and other air missions by taking out Libyan air defences.
An attack against those defences with Navy sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles was planned for later today, one official said.
The official said that depending on how Libyan forces responded to initial intervention by the French and others, the U.S. could launch additional attacks in support of allied forces.
The intention was to leave it to other nations to patrol a no-fly zone over Libya once air defences are silenced, the official said.
Mr Obama mentioned the Libya operation only briefly in Brazil today.
He noted that U.S., European and other government officials met in Paris Saturday to discuss the way ahead in Libya.
'Our consensus was strong and our resolve is clear,' he said. 'The people of Libya must be protected and in the absence of an immediate end to the violence against civilians our coalition is prepared to act and to act with urgency.'
After the Paris meeting, Mrs Clinton said Gaddafi continued to defy the will of the international community that he halt attack against rebels.
She said the U.S. will support the international military coalition taking action to stop Gadhafi.
Mrs Clinton said 'unique' American military capabilities will be brought to bear in support of the coalition, and she reiterated Mr Obama's pledge on Friday that no U.S. ground forces would get involved.
She was not more specific about U.S. involvement.
'We will support the enforcement' of the U.N. Security Council resolution that was passed earlier in the week, she said. That resolution authorized the imposition of a no-fly zone and use of 'all necessary' military force.
Among the U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean were two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Barry and USS Stout, as well as two amphibious warships, the USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce, and a command-and-control ship, the USS Mount Whitney. The submarine USS Providence was also in the Mediterranean.
American forces have not yet joined in with the military action in Libya today.
One military official told the AP the U.S. intends to limit its involvement - at least in the initial stages - to helping protect French and other air missions by taking out Libyan air defences.
An attack against those defences with Navy sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles was planned for later today, one official said.
The official said that depending on how Libyan forces responded to initial intervention by the French and others, the U.S. could launch additional attacks in support of allied forces.
The intention was to leave it to other nations to patrol a no-fly zone over Libya once air defences are silenced, the official said.
Mr Obama mentioned the Libya operation only briefly in Brazil today.
He noted that U.S., European and other government officials met in Paris Saturday to discuss the way ahead in Libya.
Libya in flames: A rebel fighter jet is shot down in Benghazi and erupts into a fireball as it crashes today
After the Paris meeting, Mrs Clinton said Gaddafi continued to defy the will of the international community that he halt attack against rebels.
She said the U.S. will support the international military coalition taking action to stop Gadhafi.
Mrs Clinton said 'unique' American military capabilities will be brought to bear in support of the coalition, and she reiterated Mr Obama's pledge on Friday that no U.S. ground forces would get involved.
She was not more specific about U.S. involvement.
'We will support the enforcement' of the U.N. Security Council resolution that was passed earlier in the week, she said. That resolution authorized the imposition of a no-fly zone and use of 'all necessary' military force.
Among the U.S. Navy ships in the Mediterranean were two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Barry and USS Stout, as well as two amphibious warships, the USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce, and a command-and-control ship, the USS Mount Whitney. The submarine USS Providence was also in the Mediterranean.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367952/We-look-weak-uncertain-Gingrich-bashes-Obamas-lack-leadership-Libya.html#ixzz1H5DucKgI
