McKeon: What are US’s goals in Libya?

Before President Obama ordered the U.S. military to participate in a coalition no-fly zone, his administration joined the U.K. and France in securing a United Nations resolution endorsing the mission.

For McKeon, that is not enough.

“A United Nations’ Security Council resolution is not and should not be confused for a political and military strategy,” reads the statement. 

Earlier Sunday, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen said the coalition mission has clear, “limited objectives.”

The U.S. military, along with NATO and Arab League nations, has been directed to establish a no-fly zone, prevent attacks on Libyan civilians and create “corridors” for humanitarian assistance to be brought in.

McKeon, indirectly referring to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, also cautioned against being pulled into an extended operation.

“Nearly 10 years of war have provided us with several key lessons-learned,” McKeon said. “Chief among them is that the American people must understand the scope and endgame objectives of military operations against another country.”

McKeon’s criticisms echo a statement issued around the same time by Speaker of the House John Boehner, in what appears to be a change in strategy for the party. The response from Republicans in Congress had been largely muted for a day after the president announced his intentions to uphold the U.N. resolution in Libya.