OBAMA MISPLAY ON LIBYA

In the last several days it has been almost impossible to view or read any in-depth news reporting on the issue of the civil war in Libya. All news items have been focused on the terrible consequences of the recent natural disaster, earthquake, that has impacted Japan. This tragedy in Japan has been to the benefit of B. H. Obama, not that he wished for this trauma to strike this ally, but because the media critics of his administration have shifted focus away from the White House and to the situation in that suffering oriental nation.



Obama has done nothing on Libya but voice his anti-Gadhafi feelings while the Gadhafi forces initiated counter attacks on the insurgents and successfully retook major cities. Gadhafi's military has put the insurgents into retreat. Today the UN has mandated, through Resolution 1973, that a "no fly zone" over Libya be established and patrolled. Immediately Gadhafi, allegedly, issued a cease fire order to his military.

Now what?

The French and the British and the Americans have indicated that they are willing to initiate patrol flights over Libya to insure that the Gadhafi forces stay out of the air. The role of America has not been defined but our military will not be in any manner, according to Obama, involved in any "in country" combat situations. There are already more than enough members of our armed forces being daily placed in jeopardy in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

The immediate concern to me is that once this first intervention step is taken, then it is only a matter of time before greater American military involvement becomes a reality. In that part of the world there are a half dozen Islamic nations that have civil unrest threatening the stability of the current governments. America cannot set a precedent by becoming, individually or as a member of a Western coalition, involved in intervening where ever and when ever the general population begins to remove a traditional non-democratic government. It would be good for these nations to become real democracies but such a move is an internal decision and action. Moves toward democracy can not be a policy to be promoted by American armed forces.


The unanswered question has to do with what America will do if Gadhafi prevails. Germany, Russia and Communist China have already hedged their bets by electing to abstain from the vote on UN Resolution 1973.