"... "One of the reasons why I announced $25 million in nonlethal aid yesterday, why many of our partners both in NATO and in the broader Contact Group are providing assistance to the opposition - is to enable them to defend themselves and to repulse the attacks by Qaddafi forces,"Clinton said.So what was the hold up? State Department spokesman Mark Toner said April 21 that the request, despite being approved by Clinton and sent to Congress, was not fully "cooked" and had not received White House approval.
Our sources tell a different story. Multiple sources said that the list of items and logistics for delivering the goods hadn't been worked out. The U.S. military doesn't actually land on Libya shores under the current operations scheme, so the goods have to be routed through third party carriers, which is costly. The heavier the items (trucks, for example), the costlier the delivery. $25 million doesn't really go that far when delivery costs are accounted for, so the final shipment is likely to contain less military vehicles and more lightweight goods, such as medical equipment and blankets, our sources said. There's a realization that even then, the $25 million won't be enough to meet the needs of the Libyan rebels and the people they are protecting..."
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