Commencement of Military Operations in Libya
President Obama's Letter to Congress
On March 21, 2011, President Barack Obama sent the following letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner (OH-R) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV-D): At approximately 3:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on March 19, 2011, at my direction, U.S. military forces commenced operations to assist an international effort authorized by the United Nations (UN) Security Council and undertaken with the support of European allies and Arab partners, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and address the threat posed to international peace and security by the crisis in Libya. As part of the multilateral response authorized under UN Security Council…
