Sen. Lugar fears Middle East quagmire

WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) -- A key U.S. senator said Sunday that the leadership of Libya's stubborn rebels is still unclear, which adds to the uncertainty of the military operation.

Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said the Obama administration's decision to intervene in Libya's revolt came at a time when Congress and the U.S. public were wrapped up in the economy and budget.

"We had better get this straight from the beginning or there is going to be a situation in which war lingers on in country after country, situation after situation, all of them on a humane basis, saving people," Lugar said.

Lugar, the ranking Republican in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he was worried the United States was getting in over its head, particularly since opposition groups in Libya and other Middle East nations were difficult to get a handle on.