CNN– CIA operatives are providing intelligence from Libya,
where opposition forces are on the run and the defiant government
suffered the embarrassing defection of its foreign minister Wednesday.
The NATO-led coalition, which is enforcing a no-fly zone and protecting civilians from the intense fighting, got no help from the weather in its ongoing efforts to protect the fragile opposition movement.
“The weather conditions did not allow close combat support by aircraft in the last couple of days,” said Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Moammar Gadhafi’s government, for its part, kept up the war of words. State-run Libyan TV late Wednesday quoted a military source as saying a “civilian location was shelled tonight in the city of Tripoli by the colonizing crusader aggression.”
Amid debate on whether the allies will arm the retreating and undertrained rebels, a U.S. intelligence source told CNN the CIA is in the country to increase the “military and political understanding” of the situation. “Yes, we are gathering intel firsthand and we are in contact with some opposition entities,” said the source.
For more information, read CIA Operating in Libya, in Consultation with Opposition.
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LIBERTY UNDERGROUND– The Former CIA Counter-terrorism analyst Michael Scheuer strongly
opposed the Obama’s administration actions in Libya on CNN this morning.
Scheuer believes that there isn’t a strong case for America’s
intervention especially at a time when the country hasn’t even recovered
from the recession. Also, Scheuer had doubts if the rebels that we are
arming would really be any better than the Gadaffi regime: “I’m not sure
that that the opposition, if it takes power, is going to be much better
than was Gadaffi.” Moreover, Scheuer argues that the US involvement in
Libya would serve as a recruitment tool for extremists. “In the muslim
world, this is Americans killing Muslims again, and it looks like its
for oil.”
Scheuer also suggested the rationale behind US involvement in yet
another war “at a time when we’re nearly bankrupt.” to which the CNN
host, Christine Romans, expressed disagreement suggesting that Libya and
US economy are two distinct issues. Scheuer protested “they are not
separate issues, ma’am, you’re just carrying the water for Mr. Obama.”
