Capitol Hill Briefing 

# Why Are We at War in Libya? 

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Date and Time 

May 13, 2011 12 - 1 PM EDT 

Location 

B-340 Rayburn House Office Building 

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##### Featuring 

Featuring **Christopher Preble**, Director of Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute; and **Benjamin Friedman**, Research Fellow in Defense and Homeland Security Studies, Cato Institute; moderated by **Brandon Arnold**, Director of Government Affairs, Cato Institute. 

President Obama offers various justifications for his decision to intervene in Libya’s civil war. He argues that humanitarianism required that we act, that the credibility of the United States and United Nations in standing up to dictators was on the line,and that Qaddafi had forfeited his legitimacy and Americans must support democratic movements.

Are these sensible reasons to make war? Do our tactics in Libya serve these goals? And what is the role of Congress in asking these sorts of questions?

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