Washington, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement for the committee’s hearing on military operations in Libya with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen:

“The House Armed Services Committee meets today to receive testimony on the President’s decision to commit American forces in an international effort to shield Libya’s civilian population from the fury of a repressive tyrant. I commend our fighting forces for manning the wall between freedom and tyranny, and I honor their bravery. 

“But I have concerns about our objectives in Libya, our contribution to meeting those goals and the length of America’s commitment to what could be a prolonged conflict. Secretary Gates himself, when asked if the United States had vital interests in Libya, said ‘no, but we have interests in the region.’ The United States has interests in all regions of the globe, but I am curious what the criteria are for military intervention.  

“History has demonstrated that an entrenched enemy like the Libyan regime can be resilient to airpower. If Qaddafi does not face an imminent military defeat or refuses to abdicate, it seems that NATO could be expected to support decade-long no-fly zone enforcement like the one over Iraq in the 1990’s.  With Iraq and Afghanistan already occupying a considerable share of American resources, I sincerely hope that this is not the start of a third elongated conflict, especially in a region where we have other, more discernible strategic interests. 

“With America’s fighting men and women in harm’s way, it is not my intention to second-guess or undermine the Administration’s authority. But I would like an explanation of the nature of this threat and how American interests will be advanced through the use of military power.”