With President Obama making only brief remarks during his trip to Latin America, most of what we know about the beginning of the war in Libya comes from two briefings Saturday, from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in France and from Vice Admiral Bill Gortney at the Pentagon. And those two high-ranking officials delivered strikingly different messages about the extent of United States involvement in the war.

Clinton played down the U.S. role.  “We did not lead this,” she said flatly of the coalition currently attacking Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.  “We did not engage in unilateral actions in any way, but we strongly support the international community taking action against governments and leaders who behave as Gaddafi is unfortunately doing so now.”