President Obama yielded to NATO.  At least that’s what we were told.  In the last two weeks however, America has quietly escalated it’s air attack in Libya bringing in drones and conducting three times the air sorties since the beginning of August.  This from CNN’s Pentagon Producer:

New numbers released by the Pentagon on Monday show that the number of U.S. air attacks on Libyan air defenses, ground forces and other targets has nearly doubled over the past 12 days, compared with air attacks in the first 132 days of the NATO mission.

There was an average of 1.7 strike sorties a day from April 1 to August 10, compared with 3.1 strike sorties in the past 12 days.

The Pentagon release indicates that attacks by armed Predator unmanned planes have more than doubled to 1.4 attacks a day, compared with .6 attacks a day between April 1 and August 10.

The cost to the U.S. taxpayers for America’s share of the Libyan mission, known as Operation Unified Protector, is approaching $1 billion.

As of July 31, the Pentagon had spent about $896 million. The U.S. had also sold its allies and partners in Operation Unified Protectors more than $220 million worth of ammunition, spare parts and fuel.

The fierce air power by the United States has expedited the work of rebels in Libya.  The only question is what will the new rebel regime bring?   The Pentagon has also sent compassionate aid to the people of Libya totalling $25 million, including Meals-Ready-To Eat, boots, tents, uniforms and protective gear.

President Obama seems required to take a rather “Republican” approach to world crises.

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Filed under: Economy, Featured, Inside The KC, Politics, Sonja Eddings Brown by Sonja Eddings Brown, Aug 23, 2011