Obama Waging Another Illegal War in Libya

As if the bloody mess left in Libya by Obama, the United Nations, and al-Qaeda was not already tragic enough, here comes round two. Despite the disastrous consequences of the earlier intervention, which was launched without a shred of constitutional authority, the Obama administration has once again deployed U.S. military forces to the North African nation — again without permission from Congress, much less the U.S. Constitution. Weapons shipments, support for shadowy militia groups, extrajudicial assassinations via drone-fired missile, and more are already under way. And, like last time, various globalist European powers are reportedly helping.

This time, rather than supporting al-Qaeda and other jihadists against a former U.S. terror-war ally, as the Obama administration did in round one, Obama purports to be doing the opposite. According to media reports, Obama has deployed American Special Forces to prop up the unstable “transitional” regime that claims authority to rule Libya. The administration is also reportedly helping to battle the “Islamic State,” or ISIS, as well as showering weapons on one of Libya’s self-styled governments — the one backed by the UN.

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On May 16, the Washington Times reported that a “small number” of U.S. special operations teams had been on the ground in northeast and Western Libya “for the better part of a year.” The Obama administration and some of its allies among European governments have also “begun shipping weapons and equipment to Libya’s fragile unity government,” the paper said, without citing sources. Other media outlets have also reported similar developments surrounding Obama support for the “Government of National Accord (GNA),” one of several factions purporting to be the government that appears to have the blessing of globalists and the establishment.

The first time around, the Obama administration seized on a United Nations resolution to justify waging an unconstitutional and illegal war against Libya, violating the U.S. Constitution and federal laws prohibiting material support for terror groups. Congress was never consulted. Instead, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly told lawmakers they would be ignored if they tried to stop the illegal war, which Obama recently referred to as the “worst mistake” of his “mistake”-filled presidency. This time, the UN is involved again, offering its support to one of the competing “national governments” staking claim to Libya.

But now, UN Security Council resolutions seem to be less important. In fact, the new weapons shipments from Obama are being provided in violation of UN sanctions and a prohibition on shipping weapons to the war-torn nation. Obama’s Secretary of State John Kerry, though, who took over after most of the Libya disaster had unfolded, tried to justify the decision. “If you have a legitimate government [sic] and that legitimate government is fighting terrorism, that legitimate government should not be victimized” by a UN weapons embargo, Kerry was quoted as telling reporters in France after meeting with diplomats there.

The self-styled “Libyan Premier,” Fayez al-Sarraj, agreed with Kerry. According to the Associated Press, he plans to provide a “wish list” of weapons to the UN for approval, as if the wannabe “Parliament of Humanity,” as Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon referred to the organization, was already a global government. “We urge the international community to assist us,” said Sarraj, one of several self-declared “leaders” of Libya, but also the one who has support from major foreign powers. His leadership of one of the rival Libyan governments was reportedly brokered by the UN.

Media reports stated that support from the “international community,” code word for the dictators club that is the UN, and its member states, was already pouring in. American military operators, for example, are reportedly already on the ground “conducting patrols” and “advising local militias.” Drones are also reportedly murdering people in Libya who ended up on the White House list, presumably those who oppose the UN-backed regime.

Other reports, including some based on local eye-witness statements, suggested that U.S. troops were already training militia fighters around the city of Misrata. As The New American reported in late 2013, Obama was at that time plotting to support and train jihadist troops. What sort of “militias” Obama is supporting this time was not made clear, though the Times claimed it was part of a “U.S.-led campaign” against ISIS. Since Libya was bombed to bits by Obama and NATO, with self-declared al-Qaeda leaders as partners on the ground, ISIS has moved in, taking over multiple important Libyan cities. The UN estimates that more than 5,000 ISIS fighters are operating in Libya.

However, left unsaid in the news reports and official statements about Obama’s latest alleged “anti-ISIS” military schemes is the fact that Obama’s “anti-ISIS” coalition actually armed, trained, and funded the brutal terror group in Syria from the start. Vice President Joe Biden admitted that openly in a speech at Harvard. “There was no moderate middle,” Biden admitted, debunking the administration’s lies about supporting “moderate” jihadists in Syria. “Our allies in the region were our largest problem… They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens, thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad; except that the people who were being supplied were Al Nusra and Al Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world.”

“Now you think I’m exaggerating — take a look,” Biden continued. “Where did all of this go? So now what’s happening? All of a sudden everybody’s awakened because this outfit called ISIL, which was Al Qaeda in Iraq, which when they were essentially thrown out of Iraq, found open space in territory in eastern Syria, work with Al Nusra who we declared a terrorist group early on, and we could not convince our colleagues to stop supplying them.”

U.S. General Martin Dempsey, meanwhile, who was chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, confirmed the fact that Obama’s supposed “anti-ISIS” coalition was actually funding ISIS. Responding to a question by pro-Syrian jihad Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) about U.S. allies supporting ISIS, he explained the same thing as Biden did. “I know of major Arab allies who fund them,” Dempsey said, referring to the Sunni dictatorships on the Arabian Peninsula that were a crucial part of the imaginary “anti-ISIS” coalition.

The CIA, the U.S. Defense Department, and the U.S. State Department were also instrumental in the fomenting the rise of ISIS. In fact, a 2012 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report about Syria was very blunt about it. “The West, Gulf countries [the Islamic regimes ruling Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, etc.], and Turkey support the Syrian opposition,” it explains, adding that, as The New American reported at the time, al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood were behind the Syrian uprising from the beginning.

Then, the official U.S. document outlines a plan to create an Islamic State in Eastern Syria controlled by the most fanatical elements of Islamist extremism. “There is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist [fundamentalist Islamism] principality in Eastern Syria (Hasaka and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime,” reads the Pentagon document. (Emphasis added.) That is also exactly what happened when ISIS declared the establishment of its “caliphate” in Eastern Syria and parts of Iraq.

In addition to support from Obama, the European Union has also touted its own efforts to prop up the globalist-selected Libyan government. EU “High Representative for Foreign Affairs” Federica Mogherini, for example, said in a press conference that “our presence at sea has not only been useful so far but could be even more upgraded in the future weeks, as we were already planning to do and as we discussed with Prime Minister al-Sarraj and the Ministers of the Government of the National Accord.” The Saudi Arabian dictatorship and others in the region have also been meeting with the globalist-backed Al-Sarraj. The British and Italian governments are also taking a lead role, even plotting to send troops in.

Obama and the globalist establishment have done more than enough damage in Libya and the broader Middle East. The first time, even former U.S. generals and intelligence officials accused the administration of “switching sides” in the terror war as it showered weapons and support on proud al-Qaeda leaders who boasted to the press of having battled U.S. troops in Iraq. There is no reason to think the current round of military interventionism will fare any better.

After all of the disasters and bloodshed brought about by the executive branch’s illegal UN-approved wars and military actions, it is hard to believe that hardly anyone in Washington, D.C., has yet realized the wisdom of the Founders and the Constitution. All war-making powers were vested in the American people’s elected representatives in Congress for a very good reason. And the Founders wisely urged Americans to avoid going abroad in search of monsters to destroy.

Congress must finally rein in the executive branch and its lawless military scheming overseas. Instead of plotting the next illegal war, perhaps it is time to hold somebody accountable for the last one.

Alex Newman, a foreign correspondent for The New American, is normally based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @ALEXNEWMAN_JOU. He can be reached at [email protected]

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