Page 3 - Dithering On Libya News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Situation in libya. our own chuck todd and savannah gustry are down there traveling with the president. >> reporter: hey, willie. well, chuck and i are here in rio. it is a little bit windy and of course, the president's trip has been less about what's happening here and more about what's happening across the world. >> and even the brazilian people are seeing it that way as well. largest newspaper in rio -- headline in portuguese, "in brazil obama orders attack on libya." then a photo of a clinking glass between presidents, that's the put-screen part of this trip. it's been sort of an odd imag...

Of gadhafi. and his ability to be able to hurt people and to attack people and to really have terrorist attacks that have been going on through his leadership for a period of time. >> congressman, democrat from maryland, thanks for your time today. we appreciate it. up next, on the road with president obama. we'll check in with chuck and savannah in south america where the president will hold his first press conference later today on the military action in libya. plus, gray smoke spotted at japan's nuclear site. how big a setback is this after a weekend that provides some small, at least, ...

Some senior military officials have told us, maybe we should take our time just a little bit to make sure that everything is in place before the u.s. steps back from the more prominent he public role. but make no mistake about it, it could still be led by an american commander, and u.s. forces will still play a fairly prominent role in any of the military operations there. >> as you say, the white house and pentagon eager to get the american face off this mission. >> if i can make one more quick point, willie. >> yes. >> you know, in every war campaign or military campaign, there's a certain e...

Pictures in tripoli to what's going on in brazil. so that economic message isn't getting there. that said, it has been in one way, as one administration official said to me, look, we don't want people to think we've launched a war in libya and if we canceled this trip, gone back to washington, d.c. to the situation room, then it looks like we've launched a full-scale war. they do want the world to see this as what they believe it is, which is an intervention by the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis. >> so that's the story here in rio. willie, despite our beautiful backdr...

So it is surprising, but this is the hand he has been dealt by history. he's a reluctant warrior. so it's not as if he's converted to being a cowboy. so in that sense, i think people recognize the difference between him and former president bush. but you're former president bus. but you're right. this is a great example of how things turn out different in history than you might expect. >> he inherited iraq and afghanistan but he didn't inherit libya. this was a choice that he made along with the u.n. are we beginning to see an obama doctrine? >> i think we are beginning to see an obama doctrin...