The original intent of the no-fly zone was to prevent carnage in Benghazi. It did. Now fears are growing that a humanitarian crisis is coming across Libya.
Who could have predicted that? After all, war never causes these types of secondary issues– Oh, strike that. Pres. Obama and his administration say this isn’t a war. I keep forgetting that point. If Obama says it isn’t a war it isn’t a war, right?
Then what is it? According to the White House, it’s a “kinetic military action.”
Q But it’s not going to war, then?
MR. RHODES: Well, again, I think what we are doing is enforcing a resolution that has a very clear set of goals, which is protecting the Libyan people, averting a humanitarian crisis, and setting up a no-fly zone. Obviously that involves kinetic military action, particularly on the front end. But again, the nature of our commitment is that we are not getting into an open-ended war, a land invasion in Libya. What we are doing is offering a unique set of capabilities over a period of days that can shape the environment for a no-fly zone.
What could possibly go wrong with this mumbo jumbo?
What a giant political disaster Pres. Obama has created. And not calling what’s being done in Libya a war? Who are these guys and how did they get to such a level of leadership? It’s absolutely juvenile.
It’s hard to find a precedent for a president ordering U.S. military forces into action, then heading off for a five-day tour of Latin America, but that’s just what President Barack Obama did when he approved the deployment of air and naval assets to establish a no-fly zone over Libya. His homecoming gift is a barrage of questions about the military action Obama aides refuse to label a “war.” – Unanswered questions about Libya
It takes “word salads” to a whole new level.
The New York Times is running an op-ed today about “Among Allies, Discord Over Libya.” That’s putting it mildly.
Jamie Rubin put it well on MSNBC this morning. There’s an old saying about NATO, which has an alternative acronym: Needs America To Operate. The reason America usually leads, which is why the Right and others are caterwauling about the operation, is that without our lead things fall apart.
Pres. Obama missed that lesson and is now in the middle of an international diplomatic firing squad, while his people are arguing about whether this is a war or not.
I can picture V.P. Joe Biden right now muttering expletives under his breath.
This post has been updated.
Taylor,
I agree that Obama’s flipflop on Libya is a gigantic mess, however, it is not NEAR as huge as Iraqi invasion by Dubya. I’d rather stick pins and needles in my eyes than read Byron York who was Dubya’s cheerleader in invading Iraq.
I certainly do not need to be lectured by neocons who are aware this venture in Libya is about OIL, like their fiasco in Iraq.
I still think this issue is about diversion away from the fact we have no functioning government. Plus, it rewards the military industrial complex which owns almost every Congressman/Senator across the 50 states.
If USA was truly humanitarian, we wouldn’t be arming all these dictators with weapons, planes, etc. Who armed Qadaddi with the arms he’s using on his own today? USA, France and Great Britain. The nations who claim to be shocked that Qaddafi could do such a thing and are now using weapons on the Libyan population to prevent such an evil thing.
I think what all Americans need to do is to look in the mirror for a long f*cking time. We are nation producing and transporting WMD all over the world. We also fund and prop up these dictators, like Qadaffi and Mubarak and presidents of Yemen and Bahrain.
Hell, we didn’t even remove Saddam when he was killing his own people. We looked the other way. Established a No Fly Zone that only hurt Iraqi civilians. We are doing same today and calling it humanitarian.
I see NO difference between a liberal interventionist and a freaking neocon. Shame on them all.
As an American veteran of Desert Storm, I am ashamed to call myself American, today!!! Look around you, our nation sucks today unless you live in the NYC/DC bubble zone.
Far be it from me to tell a veteran how to feel, but… NEVER be ashamed to call yourself an American.
No matter the craziness, we all are fighting for the greatness that endures regardless of who’s running things.
Never forget that, please.
Taylor, thanks for the reporting and for the encouragement. Now, when I look at all of this I am reminded of the fact that we elected a President who was a constitutional scholar and civil rights attorney who was also on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. So what can possibly go wrong?
Ahh… Kool-Aid is much more refreshing when you simply mainline the stuff. And my Wikipedia gives me such reassurance during troubled times. Peace!
Vietnam wasn’t a “war,” either. And we know how well that turned out. Or actually, maybe “we” don’t, as in, that’s very, very old news, about old hippies and liberals who almost destroyed this exceptional nation of ours, and besides, we’re not looking back, but forward …
Taylor,
Thank you. This Libyan issue has got me emotionally out of whack. I probably am not alone,
I suspect my anger stems from my voting for Wall Street/military industrial complex’s judge, jury and Unitary executioner named Barack Obama. Just call me a sucker!
Joyce,
I had thought that the verdict on Vietnam was in, and that everyone agreed it was a bad war. I probably felt this way because I was born in 1968 and grew up watching a lot of TV and Movies. But imagine my surprise when the U.S. invaded Iraq, and I found out that about half the country really thought we should have stayed and “finished the job” there.
Ugh. People never learn.
this is an maerican war- period. obama can say its itnl etc. but on dailybeast u can read nearly waeapons are american and even those advising who arent american were trained by us- all fo them. america will win or lose this and the world knows it. we are the superpower here. are we in it to win? to oust ghaddafi? after all ghadaffi is a bad man and regie is needed according to new dematalking points lifted from bush. we are in this now and must suceed i feel. if we fail it will be deadly.
“Kinetic Military Action”
TM, may I call bullshit?
More like Elephant shit TPAZ, whale shit perhaps?
Your right Taylor, If our mission in Libya is “Humanitarian” then there are many other countries that need our help and you named the few !!! The whole situation is a mess !! Germany among others is upset and it could get worse.