Its Almost in the Open...

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said today that additional measures may be needed in Libya.

Meanwhile, USS Bataan, a Wasp-Class Amphipious Assault Ship sailed today from America, bound for Libya.

USS Bataan has been a significant feature of previous hotspots of American interest, so you can guarantee that she will be in the thick of the action, whatever that action may be. Significant points are that she is designed for amphibious assault and carries a serious contingent of Marines. She also carries air power in order to support that amphibious capability. Possibly embarrassing for our government is that fact Bataan carries Harrier fixed-wing aircraft: the self-same Harriers we just scrapped. In fact with the exception of the amphibious assault capability, she is very similar to our own diminished carriers.

Anyway, its curious that while America makes noises of extricating itself from the Libya mission, it still tasks a significant amount of naval capability to it, specifically with the ability to employ ground forces.