White House defends legality of Libya mission

WASHINGTON (AP) :

The White House said yesterday that President Barack Obama has the authority to continue United States military action in Libya even without authorisation from critical lawmakers in Congress.

In a detailed, 30-page report being sent to Congress, the administration argues that the US has a limited, supporting role in the NATO-led bombing campaign in Libya. Because US forces are not engaged in sustained fighting and there are no troops on the ground there, the White House says the president is within his US constitutional rights to direct the mission on his own.

The administration's defence of the Libya mission comes in response to a non-binding House resolution passed earlier this month that chastised Obama for failing to provide a "compelling rationale" for US involvement in Libya.