III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 148 

Calling on the President to submit to Congress a detailed description of 

United States policy objectives in Libya, both during and after Muammar 

Qaddafi’s rule, and a plan to achieve them, and to seek congressional 

authorization for the use of military force against Libya. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 14, 2011 

Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. LEE, Mr. ROBERTS, 

and Mr. INHOFE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Calling on the President to submit to Congress a detailed 

description of United States policy objectives in Libya, 

both during and after Muammar Qaddafi’s rule, and 

a plan to achieve them, and to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force against Libya. 

Whereas, on February 15, 2011, protests against longtime 

Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi began in Benghazi, 

Libya, following the arrest of human rights advocate 

Fathi Tarbel; 

Whereas, on March 10, 2011, rebels in Libya, armed with 

outdated anti-aircraft guns and facing overwhelming firepower from Qaddafi forces, were forced to retreat from 

strongholds in eastern Libya, while doctors in Libya reVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:14 Apr 15, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR148.IS SR148

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•SRES 148 IS 

ported that civilian casualties had doubled, mostly as the 

result of airstrikes ordered by Qaddafi; 

Whereas, on March 10, 2011, France became the first country to recognize the Libyan Transitional National Council, organized by the Libyan rebel leadership, as the legitimate Government of Libya; 

Whereas, on March 12, 2011, Amr Moussa, secretary general 

of the Arab League, announced, ‘‘The Arab League has 

officially requested the United Nations Security Council 

to impose a no-fly zone against any military action 

against the Libyan people.’’; 

Whereas, on March 16, 2011, Muammar Qaddafi’s forces 

neared the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, and Saif alIslam, Qaddafi’s son, vowed that ‘‘everything will be over 

in 48 hours’’; 

Whereas, on March 16, 2011, following United Nations Security Council negotiations, U.S. Permanent Representative 

to the United Nations Susan Rice announced United 

States support for a no-fly zone, stating, ‘‘But the U.S. 

view is that we need to be prepared to contemplate steps 

that include, but perhaps go beyond, a no-fly zone.’’; 

Whereas, on March 17, 2011, the United Nations Security 

Council voted to approve a no-fly zone over Libya, passing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, 

which authorized ‘‘all necessary measures’’ to protect civilians; 

Whereas, on March 19, 2011, President Barack Obama authorized United States military operations against Libya, 

and Operation Odyssey Dawn commenced; 


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•SRES 148 IS 

Whereas, on March 19, 2011, the United States Armed 

Forces began air and sea strikes against targets along 

the coast of Libya against Libyan air defenses; 

Whereas, on March 21, 2011, President Obama sent a letter 

notifying Congress that he had ordered strikes on Libya 

and outlining United States military actions in Libya 

during the preceding 48 hours; 

Whereas, on March 23, 2011, Muammar Qaddafi’s forces 

shelled the town of Misrata, held by Libyan rebels, killing 

dozens of civilians; 

Whereas, on March 24, 2011, coalition forces hit military targets deep inside Libya, but failed to prevent Qaddafi’s 

tanks from re-entering Misrata and besieging its main 

hospital; 

Whereas, on March 24, 2011, North Atlantic Treaty 

Organisation (NATO) Secretary-General Anders Fogh 

Rasmussen announced that NATO would take command 

of enforcing the no-fly zone over Libya and was considering taking control of the full United Nations-backed 

military mission; 

Whereas, on March 30, 2011, forces loyal to Muammar 

Qaddafi pressed further east with an artillery offensive, 

pushing Libyan rebels back more than 95 miles towards 

Brega; 

Whereas, on March 31, 2011, United States Africa Command, which had led the initial phases of military operations against Libya under Operation Odyssey Dawn, 

transferred command and control of international air operations over Libya to NATO; 

Whereas, as of March 31, 2011, Operation Unified Protector, 

under sole command of NATO, is now responsible for the 


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•SRES 148 IS 

arms embargo, no-fly zone, and actions to protect civilians in Libya; 

Whereas, as of April 4, 2011, in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn and Operation Unified Protector, the United 

States had flown approximately 1,600 military sorties 

and, as of April 7, 2011, had launched 228 Tomahawk 

Land Attack Missiles and spent approximately 

$632,000,000; 

Whereas President Obama has repeatedly indicated that his 

policy on Libya is that Muammar Qaddafi should no 

longer serve as the leader of the Government of Libya; 

Whereas, on February 26, 2011, 11 days after the protests 

began, President Obama discussed the situation in Libya 

with Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and, according to a White House statement, said, ‘‘When a leader’s 

only means of staying in power is to use mass violence 

against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule 

and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving 

now.’’; 

Whereas, on March 3, 2011, President Obama, at a joint 

press conference with President of Mexico Felipe 

Calderon, said, ‘‘Muammar Qaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead and he must leave. . . . [W]e will continue 

to send the clear message that it’s time for Qaddafi to 

go.’’; 

Whereas, on March 18, 2011, President Obama, at a joint 

press conference with President of Chile Sebastian 

Pinera, said, ‘‘I have also stated that it is U.S. policy 

that Qaddafi needs to go. And we got a wide range of 

tools in addition to our military efforts to support that 

policy.’’; 


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•SRES 148 IS 

Whereas, on March 28, 2011, President Obama, in an address to the Nation, began to draw a distinction between 

United States political and military objectives in Libya, 

saying, ‘‘There is no question that Libya—and the 

world—would be better off with Qaddafi out of power. I, 

along with many other world leaders, have embraced that 

goal, and will actively pursue it through non-military 

means.’’; 

Whereas, on March 29, 2011, President Obama, in an interview on NBC Nightly News, continued to draw this distinction, saying, ‘‘Our primary military goal is to protect 

civilian populations and to set up the no-fly zone. Our 

primary strategic goal is for Qaddafi to step down so that 

the Libyan people have an opportunity to live a decent 

life.’’; 

Whereas, despite President Obama’s policy that Muammar 

Qaddafi should no longer serve as the leader of the Government of Libya, President Obama has not presented 

Congress with a plan to achieve that policy objective; 

Whereas President Obama has not sought from Congress any 

type of authorization for the use of military force against 

Libya; 

Whereas passage of a non-binding, simple resolution by the 

Senate is not equivalent to an authorization for the use 

of military force, passed by both the Senate and the 

House of Representatives and signed by the President; 

and 

Whereas senior officials in the Obama Administration, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary 

of Defense Robert Gates, and Harold Koh, the Department of State’s Legal Adviser, have incorrectly pointed to 


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•SRES 148 IS 

the Senate passage of a non-binding resolution, Senate 

Resolution 85 (112th Congress), as an expression of congressional consent for the United States military intervention in Libya: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) the President should submit to Congress— 

3 (A) a detailed description of United States 

4 policy objectives in Libya, both during and after 

5 Muammar Qaddafi’s rule; 

6 (B) a detailed plan to achieve those objec7 tives; 

8 (C) a detailed estimate of the full cost of 

9 the United States military operations in Libya 

10 and any other actions required to implement 

11 the plan; and 

12 (D) a detailed description of the limita13 tions the President has placed on the nature, 

14 duration, and scope of United States military 

15 operations in Libya, as referenced in his March 

16 21, 2011, letter to Congress; and 

17 (2) the President should seek a congressional 

18 authorization for the use of military force against 

19 Libya. 

Æ 


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