House Speaker Seeks Clarification On Mission’ s Goals From Obama

With some members of Congress already staging a minor rebellion against President Obama’s decision to attack Libya, House Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday blasted the administration for “contradictory” statements and told the president to lay out concrete goals for U.S. action.

Some senior Senate Democrats tried to mount a defense of Mr. Obama’s efforts and said Congress is unlikely to tie the president’s hands or end military action despite the growing discontent on Capitol Hill.

Still, with U.S. forces flying missions over Libya five days into the operation, lawmakers said the number of questions is growing over the chain of command within the international coalition, how far the U.S. is willing to go to unseat Libyan leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi and whether the country is prepared for a protracted conflict.

“All of these concerns point to a fundamental question: What is your benchmark for success in Libya?” Mr. Boehner, Ohio Republican, said in a letter to Mr. Obama. He called the president’s decision to attack without seeking full congressional consultation “regrettable.”

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