Could the U.S. Military Turn Libya into Another Iraq?

Although the American military could undoubtedly make short work of the pro-Gaddafi forces in Libya, there is a real fear that might make President Obama think twice before entering Libya: Could the U.S. military turn Libya into another Iraq?

The U.S. military is apparently ready, should the need to invade Libya arise. And, if the civil war there becomes serious enough, President Barack Obama might think about entering Libya. [Source: Babak Dehghanpisheh. Libyan Journalists Join the Revolution, Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:51:35 -0400. Downloaded from: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-28/libyan-journalists-join-the-revolution/]. On balance, though, I believe doing so would be a mistake.

The exit strategy for Libya would be no more clear than the exit strategy in Iraq. Would our purpose in Libya be to replace the government? When would we know that peace had been fully restored? There is nothing to suggest that leaving Libya would be easier than leaving Iraq. Nor, I might add, is there any reason to believe that other Western countries would support the U.S. in its efforts to set up a new Libyan government.

Militant groups within Libya would attack and kill U.S. soldiers. All of the road bombs and other guerilla warfare tactics we witnessed in Iraq could happen again in Libya. Or maybe the situation would be more like Somalia (see Black Hawk Down). There is no reason to believe that Libyans would overwhelmingly welcome American soldiers with open arms.

After the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers, fighting would likely continue until Libyans resolved their own problems. The presence of foreign soldiers would delay fighting, instead of resolving it. As unpopular as Gaddafi seems to be, there are still pro-Gaddafi forces, and they are not going to disappear. Even if Gaddafi is removed from power, there is bound to be rioting and political maneuvering as Libyans try to agree on a future form of government.

In short, Libya very well could become another Iraq, which is the last thing President Obama needs at the moment; for all of the above reasons, the U.S. military should stay out of the Libyan civil war.

Sources

Babak Dehghanpisheh. Libyan Journalists Join the Revolution, Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:51:35 -0400. Downloaded from: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-28/libyan-journalists-join-the-revolution/