Joel Skousen: Setting The Stage For Inserting US Troops Into Libya

Right now, the US is falsely claiming that it has taken a back seat role to NATO in the offensive operations in Libya, but even the "normally" pro-government NY Times revealed "that Pentagon officials disclosed Wednesday that American warplanes had continued to strike targets in Libya, even after the Obama administration said the United States was stepping back from offensive missions and letting NATO take the lead." But, there's more deception and provocation to come, in order to justify the the intervention of US and NATO troops in Libya. After all, there has to be a reason the 2nd Marine Division is already in transit to the Mediterranean. Rebel leaders in the besieged city of Misrata are claiming that a "massacre" is going on because of some 23 civilian casualties harmed in an artillery barrage. (The US regularly kills that many civilians in Afghanistan during air strikes and offensive operations, and yet they have been beating the drums about this "humanitarian crisis", and claim this level of casualties justifies ground troops.) Army General Carter Ham told CBS news that while "ground forces wouldn't be ideal, they may be a possible way to aid rebels." He admitted that the current operation is largely stalemated. Former CIA Analyst Michael Scheuer also says that US air strikes have done almost all they can do, and Gaddafi can't be dislodged without ground troops, and that is why the US must conjure up a worse humanitarian crisis to justify troops on the ground.