May 17, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was recently asked, by CBS’s 60 Minutes, about the war against Libya.  He replied that the United States was not legally/technically at war with Libya (that would take a declaration of War by Congress).  Instead Gates says the U.S. is engaged in “limited kinetic action” against Libya.

Gates is not the first U.S. official to make such a reference to the war against Libya.