Today, NATO commander Admiral James Stavridis told the US Senate something some of us have been noticing from afar ever since this weirdo-bizarre R2P “humanitarian” assault in Libya on American national interest began:

“We have seen flickers in the intelligence of potential al Qaeda, Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah was a new one on me.

That means the US military is fighting on behalf of flickers that took down the World Trade Center in 2001 and the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983.

Does anyone care?

Next question: Wouldn’t it be great is Admiral Stavridis next told the Senate that, as a result of this heinous policy, he would be stepping down from his command in protest?

But no. Instead, he reassured the Senate “We would be examining very closely the content, composition, the personalities, who are the leaders of these opposition forces.”

Next question: I feel better?

The Daily Mail picks it up:

The comments have sparked an embarrassing diplomatic spat between NATO and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, who disagreed that al Qaeda was involved in the rebel movement.

‘I would like to think I’m reading much of the same stuff and no,’ Ms Rice told Fox News when asked whether she had seen any evidence to support Stavridis’ assessment.

Not even a shimmer, according to Ms. Rice. Maybe she would like to watch her “rebels” in this al-Qaeda video sing-along…OK: it’s not a sing-along, but according to NBC, this Arabic-language Al Jazeera report features rebels with Al Qaeda recordings playing in the background while their conversations “suggest that these particular Libyan rebels are driven by a radical agenda and religious fervor rather than a desire for democracy.”

More “flickers” here and here.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Gene Cretz, whom the Wall Street Journal describes as “point man for U.S. contacts with the rebels,” says the that “opposition forces were `very aware of the problem’ and that they had caught `maybe three or four’ members of an Algerian al Qaeda affiliate trying to infiltrate rebel forces in the first week of the uprising.” The Journal explains:

The affiliate, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, is the current incarnation of an Algerian branch of the terrorist organization that has long sought to turn North Africa into an al Qaeda theater of operations. But its militancy has largely been confined to Algeria. The group’s latest propaganda dispatch detailing militant activity made no mention of operations inside Libya.

Ergo ….?

Here’s Hillary’s response to a question about Al Qaeda/Hezbollah “flickers”:

We do not have any specific information about specific individuals from any organization who are part of this, but of course, we’re still getting to know those who are leading the Transitional National Council. And that will be a process that continues.

“So far, they’re saying the right things,” President Barack Obama said Tuesday on “CBS Evening News” when asked about Libyan opposition leaders.

And how. From the rebels’ vision statement: “transparent,” “empowerment,” “tolerance,” “green”….

Green?!