Luca Bruno / AP Photo
This may rain on the Libyan rebels’ celebrations: NATO officials say that while the air campaign was successful in helping topple the regime in Tripoli, the campaign won’t be a model for future action in the Middle East. Officials say that the mission was a targeted attack against a dictator who had few friends in the world, leading to a quick authorization of force—something that may not happen again. Critics against the mission believe that it went on for too long and relied heavily on support from the United States. Meanwhile, the Pentagon released data Monday, showing that through the end of July, the U.S. spent $896 million, between military operations and humanitarian aid. The report also said the U.S. sold $221 million worth of supplies, including ammunition, to aid the fight.