Libya Hearing

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard McKeon (R-CA) today announced his panel would hold a hearing tomorrow on U.S. military operations in Libya.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen will testify Thursday at 9:00 a.m., according to a committee statement, which adds:

On Monday night, the President provided the nation an update on operations in Libya and announced that the military mission will be transferred from the United States to NATO this week.

Reacting to the President's address, McKeon raised several concerns, including the lack of "a clearly defined goal for how long military operations will last in Libya."

McKeon also noted the political reality that "utilizing U.S. warriors to protect civilians from a brutal dictator is a noble cause, but asking them to maintain a stalemate while we hold-out hope that [Moammar] Qaddafi will voluntarily leave his country raises serious questions about the duration of the mission."

At tomorrow’s hearing, members of the House Armed Services Committee will have an opportunity to hear directly from the Pentagon’s top civilian and military leaders on these concerns and have specific questions answered about the duration, cost and long-term objectives of the mission.