An Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that since NATO’s Operation Unified Protector (OUP) took over from the American-led Operation Odyssey Dawn on March 31, the U.S. military has flown hundreds of strike sorties. Previously, Washington had claimed that it was mostly providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and tanker support to NATO forces operating over Libya.
“U.S. aircraft continue to fly support [ISR and refueling] missions, as well as strike sorties under NATO tasking,” AFRICOM spokeswoman Nicole Dalrymple said in an emailed statement. “As of today, and since 31 March, the U.S. has flown a total of 3,475 sorties in support of OUP. Of those, 801 were strike sorties, 132 of which actually dropped ordnance.”
I'm still not clear if "strike" missions are considered separate from the air defense suppression missions and Predator strikes we've admitted to carrying out. I think "strike" missions would be a separate category and indicates attacks on loyalist units or facilities, but it isn't clear from the article.
So is it still a time-limited, scope-limited military action? Or is it a war now?
I think the War Powers Act is unconstitutional. But the Obama administration thinks it is good law and just doesn't apply to operations over and near Libya under their convoluted reasoning.
