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Line 459: − + − − *<font color="brown">In Syria, Ba'ath party headquarters burnt down.</font> − − *'''21 March.''' Obama announces US forces commenced operations in [[Libya]] two days earlier, on March 19, "to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe." − − *Sec. [[Robert Gates]] warned establishment of a no-fly zone meant attacking Libya.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20038391-503544.html</ref> − − *[[National Security Advisor]] Tom Donilon and Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough oppose attacking Libya; but [[Hillary Clinton]] "won the bureaucratic battle to use Department of Defense resources to achieve what's essentially the State Department's objective... and Obama let it happen".<ref>[http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/03/18/how_obama_turned_on_a_dime_toward_war How Obama turned on a dime toward war.]</ref> It is rare for a president to publicly go against the advice of his National Security Adivisor in a decision on military intervention, nonetheless Tom Donilon did not resign. − [[File:Libya Rebels Gaining Momentum.jpg|thumb|President Obama armed al-Qaeda rebels who later migrated to Syria to form the Islamic State.(Photo:Reuters).]] − *[[United Nations]] Charter, Article 2(4), prohibits the “threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence” of a member state, and many observers object that Obama's actions violate this prohibition. − − *Congressional Research Services advises that a no-fly zone imposed against a state that has not carried out an attack on its neighbors may consider the imposition an “armed attack.” CRS warns that even if a no-fly zone does not constitute an armed attack, "that state, and other members of the international community, might consider them a violation of the prohibition of the 'threat or use of force,' as well as of the customary duty of non-intervention in the affairs of other sovereign states."
→March 2011
*That night, the first US airstrikes halt the advance of Gaddafi's forces on Benghazi and target Libya's air defenses. Members of Libya's Christian Coptic community are later decapitated ''en masse'' once Secretary Clinton and President Obama's objectives are met.<ref>https://youtu.be/v-5WjfiIIbA</ref>
*That night, the first US airstrikes halt the advance of Gaddafi's forces on Benghazi and target Libya's air defenses. Members of Libya's Christian Coptic community are later decapitated ''en masse'' once Secretary Clinton and President Obama's objectives are met.<ref>https://youtu.be/v-5WjfiIIbA</ref>
*'''20 March.''' NATO's Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, days before President Obama publicly disclosed his decision to intervene, that US the intelligence community knew of [[al Qaeda]] and [[Hezbollah]] elements among the rebels.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8414583/Libya-al-Qaeda-among-Libya-rebels-Nato-chief-fears.html]</ref><ref>Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Stavridis was asked by Republican Sen. James Inhofe to comment on "reports about the presence of al Qaeda among the rebels, among those with whom we are associated." "As you can imagine, we are examining very closely the content, composition, the personalities, who are the leaders in these opposition forces," Stavridis responded. "The intelligence that I am receiving at this point makes me feel that the leadership I am seeing are responsible men and women who are struggling against Colonel Gadhafi. We have seen flickers in the intelligence of potential al Qaeda, Hezbollah, we've seen different things, but at this point I don't have detail sufficient to say that there is a significant al Qaeda presence or any other terrorist presence in and among these folks. We'll continue to look at that very closely. It's part of doing due diligence as we move forward on any kind of relationship." http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2011/03/saceur-j2-please-call-your-office.html</ref>
*'''20 March.''' <font color="brown">In Syria, Ba'ath party headquarters burnt down.</font>
*'''23 March.''' <font color="brown">Syrian government seizes weapons stored at Al-Omari mosque in the city of Daraa.<ref>https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=abc_1357562508#KLo202ZH2GdJQ6Jj.99</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110324084454/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/143026</ref> ''Daily Mail'' reports "'an armed gang' of 'peaceful protesters' opened fire on an ambulance, killing 'a doctor, a paramedic and a policeman'".</font>
*'''23 March.''' <font color="brown">Syrian government seizes weapons stored at Al-Omari mosque in the city of Daraa.<ref>https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=abc_1357562508#KLo202ZH2GdJQ6Jj.99</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20110324084454/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/143026</ref> ''Daily Mail'' reports "'an armed gang' of 'peaceful protesters' opened fire on an ambulance, killing 'a doctor, a paramedic and a policeman'".</font>