The Crisis in Libya
First let's clear up the confusion about Obama's actions.
The US Senate unaminoulsy passed a resolution for a no-fly zone in Libya. The Obama Administration was in compliance with the War Powers Act as defined by the acts of all previous Presidents since the War Powers Act was signed into law. Furthermore, the Security Council authorized the protection of civilians in Libya.
Obama's goals in this military action are two-fold: military goals and political goals.
The military goals are as follows:
1) Enforce the no-fly zone as was authorized by the Senate Resolution
2) Protect the civilian population from attacks by Gaddafi's military and by the rebels. This also protects foreigners in Libya.
3) Degrade Gaddafi's military in order to prevent civilian attacks.
The political goal is to remove Gaddafi from power.
The United States will not train the rebels nor provide them with weapons. The United States will not participate in the formation of the new government in Libya and the United States will not rebuild Libya after the war is over. The United States will not place troops in Libya and will not provide controllers providing ground support for air strikes. Furthermore the United States will refuse to provide any rebel support even if it is requested. Any rebel support or training may be provided by some other nation.
Our action in Libya was initiated for the following reasons:
Arab nations and NATO decided that Libya has become a threat to the region and to each nation. The stability of all Northern Africa is threatened. Gaddafi has sponsored terrorist activity in the Middle East including a plan to assasinate President Ronald Reagan.
The Obama Administration and the Defense Department think Al Qaida is unlikely to hijack the new government in Libya.
Obama is displaying the wisdom of President George Bush Sr. Placing our troops in Libya would be a huge mistake because the rebels do not want the US troops in their country. A war in Libya would result in a setback to the effort to balance the national debt. We don't need another 1 trillion dollar ten year war in the Middle East. The Congress members who advocate a war in Libya should generate the funds to pay for that war. The policy of borrowing money to fight wars must end as soon as possible.
If the people want to commit our troops to a war in Libya, the people should be willing to pay more taxes to support that war. If they are not willing to financially support the war, then they are not sincere about paying the national debt.
The same principle should apply to tax cuts, tax incentives and spending programs. The pay-as-you-go rule should become law!
Published by John Mario
As a child, I wrote short stories and read them to my friends. I studied interior house wiring in a vocational high school. I majored in electrical engineering in college. I worked for 8 years as an electon... View profile
3 Comments
Post a CommentIn my view, people (including me) aren't so much questioning WHAT President Obama did regarding Libya, but how he did it. First, he was late in responding (as he has been with all of these Mideast crises since the first Iran protests in 2009); second, he failed to get the assent of Congress for his actions, going instead to the United Nations; and third, he failed to communicate his policies in a logical and coherent manner to the American people. This has been incompetence on his part, and another in a series of disappointments I have with him. I doubt I'll be able to support him again in 2012, unless things change... and soon.
It sure is something all these dictators being overthrown this is truly an historical event
Well done, as usual!