Admiral James G. Stavridis is the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe. Has been since the summer of 2009. I don't know about you, but I don't remember the head of a U.S. military operation (Stavridis is in charge of the Libya operation, Odyssey Dawn) providing an explanation to the public. Which leads me to suspect that his post on the useucom blog, "From the Bridge," is not going to get much coverage in the mainstream press. Which is why I think it should be republished here, where more of the people it is addressed to will see it.
This was published on March 28, 2011, presumably after the Admiral had made a report to Congress.
Not surprisingly, I’ve received a lot of questions about what is happening in Libya in both my capacity as Commander of the US European Command (USEUCOM) and as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR).
Given the amount of interest, let me address the role of both USEUCOM and Allied Command Operations (ACO) in Libya – the former in a supporting role, the latter acting upon direction from the North Atlantic Council (NAC). Forgive me if this blog runs a little longer than most – we’ve got a lot to cover!
Allow me to underscore that in both cases – as a US Combatant Commander and as SACEUR – our purpose with respect to Libya is to support the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR). The Resolution calls for humanitarian assistance; enforcement of the arms embargo; support of a no fly zone; and the protection of civilians. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read the actual UNSCRs 1970 and 1973.
Now, let’s start with USEUCOM. As most of you know, the United States military is organized into geographic and functional Combatant Commands. The Combatant Command with the lead role in ongoing US military operations in Libya – titled Operation ODYSSEY DAWN – is the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), under the very able leadership of GEN Carter Ham. USEUCOM is involved in support of USAFRICOM.
“Alright, Admiral,” you might think to yourself. “What exactly does that mean?” To be more precise, some of the ways USEUCOM is providing support include manpower augmentation (e.g., intelligence, operations, public affairs, etc.), contingency planning, communications connectivity and infrastructure, logistical support at bases within the European theater, and basing/overflight rights. Overall, USEUCOM has helped to enable the effective execution of the operation in a complex and dynamic environment; however, USAFRICOM is the lead combatant command capably directing forces in support of Operation ODYSSEY DAWN.
Let’s turn next to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Of course, all NATO decisions are based on the consensus of the 28 member nations. Any decision is, therefore, the expression of the nations’ collective will. While numerous committees and groups exist to explore issues and guide discussion, the primary decision making body is the NAC, chaired by the NATO Secretary General and formed of Ambassadors, Defense Ministers, Foreign Ministers, or Heads of State and Government. In permanent session, NATO nations have Ambassadors in the NAC, also known as Permanent Representatives or PERMREPS.
As you’d expect, gaining consensus amongst 28 sovereign nations is not always a simple matter, but when it does occur, it is a very powerful expression of the collective will that I mentioned earlier. NATO has reacted to the crises in Libya with unprecedented speed. If you’re interested in learning more about how NATO works, there’s a good interactive introduction to the organization here.
On March 22, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the NAC’s agreement to enforce the UN-mandated arms embargo on Libya within the context of UNSCRs 1970 and 1973. NATO operations for Libya have been named Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR. Under the scope of UNIFIED PROTECTOR, NATO is authorized to enforce the arms embargo and the no-fly-zone (NFZ). This was just five days after the UNSCR passed.
The arms embargo mission is focused on assisting the international community to reduce the flow of arms and material into and from Libya in order to reduce acts of aggression against the Libyan civilian population. Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR will assist in reducing the flow of arms, related material and mercenaries to and from the coastal waters off Libya only. NATO nation ships and aircraft will conduct operations to monitor, report and, if needed, interdict vessels and intercept aircraft where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they are carrying cargo in violation of the arms embargo or suspected of carrying illegal arms or mercenaries. This is being conducted in close coordination with international maritime authorities, commercial shipping, and regional organizations to ensure the free flow of legitimate shipping to and from Libya.
As for the NFZ, it was originally initiated by a coalition of primarily NATO countries coordinating under Operation ODYSSEY DAWN. It quickly became apparent that NATO is uniquely qualified to assume leadership of the NFZ, bringing both capabilities through its members’ military commitments and coherence through NATO’s well established command and control structure. As we have seen in Kosovo, Afghanistan, operations supporting counter-piracy and other missions, NATO has the experience and expertise to lead this effort. On March 24, the NAC took the next step to approve enforcement of the NFZ, which puts NATO in that leadership role, just seven days after the UNSCR.
And finally, just last night, NATO Allies decided to take on the whole military operation in Libya, ten days after the UNSCR. As defined by the United Nations Security Council Resolution, our goal is to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack. NATO will implement all aspects of the UN Resolution.
The bottom line is that in both cases – on the US side and within NATO – we are seeking to protect innocent lives and allow Libyans the freedom to decide the future of their country. Important work, indeed.
Adm. James Stavridis
Commander, U.S. European Command and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Since then, the "flicker" of suspicion about Al Qaeda has been picked up and refuted by some of the Libyan rebels.
Libyan rebels reject al-Qaeda label
....
“One of the city’s top clerics led Friday prayers, telling the crowd the people here are not members of al-Qaeda.”
After the service, a number of worshippers waved French and British flags to thank them for their attacks on Gaddafi.
You know, the mainstream press has a disaster bias. So, positive developments tend not to get much coverage.
We should probably pay closer attention to our various Commands. There are, for examples, rumors floating around that the U.S. intervention in Libya is aimed to acquire a base for USAFRICOM. That the U.S. is not interested in empire is a notion that's hard to dispel, if only because some people have made a career out of assessing its rise and fall, including the late Chalmers Johnson.
I ran across this information, btw, while looking up what's happening with an old favorite, Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, only to discover that the American contingent there has been reduced to 700 troops, from the initial projection of 7000, which seems never to have been reached. And now there's talk, by US Ambassador Christopher Dell, that Bondsteel is being phased out.
That too is not going to be front page news. So much for Bondsteel being some sort of dragon guarding a network of oil pipelines.