These questions are culled from phone calls, letters, faxes and e-mails sent to Rep. Gallegly's Thousand Oaks, Solvang, and Washington offices. Each week Rep. Gallegly adds another question and answer. Please add your comments.
March 25, 2011
Question: I am concerned with President Obama's decision to use U.S. military forces in Libya. What is your opinion?
Answer: As you know, on March 19, 2011, at President Obama's direction, U.S. military forces began operations to assist an international effort and address the humanitarian crisis posed by the situation in Libya. The President said his decision to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya was aimed at protecting thousands of innocent Libyians from being slain by Colonel Qadafi.
Qadafi is an international terrorist who is responsible for a number of attacks on Americans, including the murder of 270 innocent victims as a result of the 1998 bombing of Pan Am flight 103. I take Qadafi at his word when he said that his troops would go from "house to house" and "room to room" when they took Benghazi, showing "no mercy" towards the people who opposed him. There is no doubt in my mind that there would have been a mass slaughter of civilians without the no-fly zone.
However, the President should have consulted with Congress before committing U.S. military. Sending a letter to Congress three days after making his decision violates the letter and the spirit of the War Powers Act. Further, and perhaps more importantly, the President also has a responsibility to define for the American people, Congress, and our troops what the mission in Libya is, what America's role in achieving this mission is, and how he plans to accomplish this mission. With no clear end-game strategy, I am afraid that we may be stuck in a situation that can drag out indefinitely. Further, with other Middle Eastern regimes killing protesters, such as Syria and Yemen, will the United States intervene in these countries too? What are the circumstances that justify U.S. military intervention? Please be assured that I will continue to closely monitor this situation.
For previous Questions of the Week chronologically and by topic, please see my Questions of the Week page.
My Opinion is that we can neither afford to be or should we be the world police. We should let some of these other lazy countries step up and take care of some of these things. We need to focus on our own budges, safety, and economy (JOBS). Additionally we should stop wasting money on duplication. We do not need a department of homeland security and we do not need a TSA. The TSA is about as effective as a straw roof. We should own up to the fact there is risk in leaving and stop making flight impossible. We should let the existing law enforcement agencies do that job, abolish the DOHS, TSA and that silly police force for tarp, and we should balance the budget by reducing all.
I am concerned about out involvement in this new intervention in Libya. War costs money and we are already involved in the Middle East of which I think we are not appreciated. Our "boys and girls" are getting killed - for what - so we can later be called names and resented for our involvement. I think we need to make entrance into this country more stringent. Not reward illegals with health care and social security. I believe AMERICANS need to be considered in this country and foreigners either pay ALL the TAXES, etc. that Americans must pay or else go home where their allegence is anyway. Let's concentrate on the USA and the American people and not involve ourselves with anyone else until we can get our "ACT" together.