Public Secrets writes, “One of my favorites from the early days of my blog reading is back: The DiploMad 2.0. He (or she) is an anonymous former Foreign Service officer who’s come out of blogging ‘retirement’ because the current administration is so inept, he can’t take it anymore. Here he is on the Obama and Clinton’s casual approach to going to war:”
Does Obama consult with the US Congress? Bush did that, remember? Does he ask Congress for an expression of support for the use of military power? Bush, did that, and we still hear from the left that he got insufficient authorization. No. Obama and Clinton get permission from the UN, the EU, and the Arab League instead. I guess when you’re a liberal, that’s all that counts. No need to bother with the Congress or in making a case to the American people.
So, now we are in a war with no clear objective: Is it to establish a “No Fly Zone,” or get Qaddafi out? What if we get a NFZ, which our military will establish quickly, but Qaddafi doesn’t go or continues his war without aircraft? What then? Are we on the hook to protect Libyans from Libyans? How long before the pictures of dead and dying Libyans, supposedly killed by our missiles and bombs, have the UN, the Euros, and the Arab League backing out? Guess who will get left holding the bag of sand?
Code Pink, where are you?
And no wonder Michael Moore flipped out (even more so than usual) yesterday. Presumably at this point, to remain consistent, Moore would have to be putting his money on Qaddafi for his disgusting “Minuteman” analogy from 2004 to remain consistent, right?
Richard Fernandez writes that “The longer the operation drags on the greater the chance, strange as it may seem,” Qaddafi will attract support, at least “from all the fringe elements and crackpots of the world:”
Given this scenario, what can Khadaffi do? If he is suicidal and cares nothing for political consequences, he will probably attempt to create a humanitarian crisis as soon as possible. Such oil facilities as he cannot hold or feasibly protect, he may dynamite, in the dirtiest possible way. He can attempt to seize as many hostages from among the remaining Westerners as he possibly can. The Duck can also smash the system which brings water to the coast. Finally, he may unleash one last spasm of terrorism against the West and may, as a final act of self-immolation, blow all the oil facilities in his power before giving them up to the enemy. All of these tactics were used, in one way or the other, either by himself or by Saddam Hussein in Iraq, so they will instantly occur to Khadaffi.
Even if he does none of these things, Libya’s economy is finished for the duration; and the need to feed or sustain the poorest of the population — already reeling from high prices — will become critical. They will become a charge on the West simply because there’s nobody else who can do it.
The longer the operation drags on the greater the chance, strange as it may seem, that the Duck of Death will attract support. He certainly will, from all the fringe elements and crackpots of the world. Louis Farrakhan today came out in support of Khadaffi and so has Chavez. Farrakhan said that “they would love to go into Libya and kill brother Khadaffi and his children as they did to Saddam Hussein.” Obama faced hostile leftist crowds in Brazil. Even Joan Baez has recently expressed her misgivings. If a humanitarian crisis occurs in Libya, these protests will redouble; it will not matter whether it was authorized by the Security Council or led by France. It will be, as it always is, America’s fault.
Jose Guardia posits one modest Photoshopped proposal for Qaddafi to accelerate the process.
Exit question: if Qaddafi is captured alive, will Ramsey Clark volunteer to defend him at his trial?
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