AP File President Barack Obama says he's intervening to prevent atrocities in Libya. But details of behind-the-scenes debates at the White House show he's going to war in part to rehabilitate an idea...the president and some of his advisers are so eager to rehabilitate the idea of preventive intervention that they're exaggerating the violence they say they are intervening to prevent in Libya. "The effort to shoe-horn this into an imminent genocide model is strained," says one senior administration official. That's dangerous. Americans deserve an honest explanation when their leaders take them to war.
Obama and his aides know they are taking a big risk. "It's a huge gamble," says the senior administration official. The administration knows, for example, that al Qaeda, which has active cells in Libya, will try to exploit the power vacuum that will come with a weak or ousted Gaddafi.
"On the military side there was a lot of skepticism in the initial days that a no-fly zone by itself was going to achieve what we wanted militarily," says a senior administration official. Another senior administration official is blunter: "[Secretary of Defense Robert] Gates tried to stop it."Can you believe Time is saying this? "Obama lied and people died!" Did you know that Bush had more coalition support for Iraq then Obama has for this war in Libya? People are even saying that Obama is taking Al Quida's side in Libya. Congress is asking why Obama went to war illegally without Congress? Obama has been too busy giving away our oil in the Gulf to Brazil and partying in Rio. Can anyone be this inept? Are we even a leader in the world anymore? It's time the media ask this President what he is doing and why he is doing it.
Republican Says Action in Libya is an 'Affront' to the U.S. Constitution
ReplyDeleteA senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee escalated his party's attacks on the Obama's administration's military action in Libya, calling the move unconstitutional.
“The United States does not have a King's army," Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) said in a statement released Monday evening. "President Obama's unilateral choice to use U.S. military force in Libya is an affront to our Constitution." Read more at thehill.com.
RedState: OK. We’re bombing Libya. Now What? ... What has been more notable than what has happened is what hasn’t happened. We still have no idea of the goals or objectives of this exercise. Are we trying to topple the odious Muammar Qaddafi? Are we trying to establish a “free state of Benghazi” where his opponents, the self described mujahideen, can rule? Are we trying to moderate his use of force as he exercises the legitimate right of any sovereign to put down an armed insurrection? Are we leading this coalition? Or is Nicholas Sarkozy? Who decides when enough is enough? When, if ever, is the administration going to ask for Congressional approval to carry out this operation? Read more at RedState.com.
George Will: Civil War in a Tribal Society We Don't Know
The missile strikes that inaugurated America's latest attempt at regime change were launched 29 days before the 50th anniversary of another such — the Bay of Pigs of April 17, 1961.
Then the hubris of American planners was proportional to their ignorance of everything relevant, from Cuban sentiment to Cuba's geography. The fiasco was a singularly feckless investment of American power.
Does practice make perfect? In today's episode, America has intervened in a civil war in a tribal society, the dynamics of which America does not understand. And America is supporting one faction, the nature of which it does not know. Read more at investors.com.
I'm actually torn. For sure Obama should have asked Congress permission. Should we have intervened ... I think about where we as a nation might have been had France not intervened and provided marine support and equipment and men. However, the outcome directly affected France and their interests and security. Libya bears no effect on our interests and security. We cannot and should not be the police of the world.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Mexico or Canada will provide troops when the liberals get their panties in a wad and get violent again.
I used to be a life long Democrat. All the things I wanted him to do as president he hasn't done. I know a lot of Democrats that feel the same way. Obama is done in 2012.
ReplyDeleteRight before my eyes Obama is turning into that evil G.W. Bush. The Left is gotta be ready for MEDS!
ReplyDeleteI think you are right AL. The mental hospitals are filling up as we speak.
ReplyDeleteAnon I've noticed that this 3rd war is turning a lot of Democrats against Obama.
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteI love the coalition stuff. Funny.
but how does a coalition of the US, Britain and a bunch of 3rd world countries beat the US, Britain, France, Canada, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Italy and two Arab countries.
Obama's group beats Bush's coalition of the 3rd world just for that. Remember how no Arab Nations would support the invasion?
Bush had twice as many members in his coalition as Hussein (Barack) has in his. Plus Bush had the full support of Congress. Hussein does not.
ReplyDeleteAdvantage +2 Bush.