It is hard to know what made the greatest contribution to the fiasco that the administration’s Libyan policy has become: The debilitating delay that transformed a relatively easy mission into a hard one, or the current confusion about the goals of our intervention, the source of its legitimacy, and a strategy for success. The president refused to act when the rebels had momentum, when supplying them with weapons (and possibly a no-fly zone imposed from off-shore with stand-off weapons) might have enabled them to prevail over the Qaddafi regime. But by the time the administration got the international support without which it was unwilling to act, Qaddafi’s army was on the verge of destroying the opposition, and rescuing it required a vastly larger intervention, including a direct attack on Qaddafi’s bases and mechanized units. But whether late is better than never depends on the outcome, and that is anything but certain. The U. S. general commanding the Libyan operation said today that he could imagine completing his mission with Qaddafi (and sons) still in control of Libya, which, if the mission is to protect the Libyan people, could be decades away. General Ham’s pusillanimous goal (presumably that of the President) is more likely to anger than inspire the opposition – and so it should – with the result that we could find it all but impossible to extricate ourselves from a prolonged and bloody civil war. No good deed so ill-conceived can hope to escape punishment.
Proofreading
“But by the time the administration got the international support with which it was unwilling to act”
Shouldn’t that be, “without which it was unwilling to act”?
but the administration did not get Congressional approval to go to war, which according to the Constitution they have to do.
You’re right, of course. Thanks.
Why did this take so long to occur to me? LOSING Libya? Pray tell: when did we ever HAVE Libya? In what sense is it/was it ever ours to lose?
You’re hopeless.
We should all be able to agree that Qaddafi Duck must go. I know some of you won’t. But that’s on you. A Dead Daffi is desirable under all circumstances. However, the outcome of this intervention is far from certain. It doesn’t give me much comfort to see the rebels we’re protecting are flying the Star and Crescent flag of Islam.
Can you expect any comfort in realizing that aiding and abetting the Islamic known enemy of the US is considered grounds for a trial for treason as described by your constitution if only two good men will pursue the question? Perhaps congress would deny authority for any agressive action within its grasp when charges of treason are on the table for those responsible for authorizing the action. But where outside of the military can you find two good men?
That ship sailed long ago. Reagan tried to kill him in the eighties. This is the FOURTH administration since then. If it had been US policy all along and we still somehow hadn’t gotten him that would be one thing. But it hasn’t been. And as of recently he’s been helping us against al-Qaeda: intel, etc. Now… this is screwed up beyond belief. There is no possible good outcome, period. Given the CURRENT situation (as opposed to the situation 25 (or so) years ago) we should have left well enough alone: let K’Daffy and AL-QAEDA fight it out, let the Euros babble away – which is all they ever would have done if we hadn’t stepped in – and basically let the chips fall where they may. Now? You want to kill him NOW? Where were all these calls for his head a month ago? Seriously!!!! Its been three decades since the Pan Am flight and NOW it’s an emergency?!
You want to kill him now, fine. I’m not going to cry for him. But you’re going to have to convince our man-child president first. He’s tap dancing all over the place but one thing he’s never said is that anyone intends to KILL K’Daffy.
And then what, Wayne? We kill K’Daffy and at long last have justice for those long-ago crimes: and then what? Do you know? Do you know who takes over over there? What happens then? Best guess: al-Qaeda takes over and we have another terror state with all the money and levers of power that go with it just like in Afghanistan in 2001. You up for that, Wayne. ‘Cuz I’m not.