Charles de Gaulle strutting down the Champs de L' Elysee on August 31, 1944 after the Americans, Brits and Canadians liberated his country
It's hard to figure out just now whether President Obama is steering the right course for the US in Libya or abdicating our leadership role in the world to France of all nations. On the one hand, it is easy to condemn the President for taking a back seat in the Libyan mess especially since Muammar Qaddafi is the one who ordered the shooting down of Pan Am 103. On the other hand, it may turn out to be a wise decision given the constant charge of US meddling in the Middle East as well as our present roles in Afghanistan and Iraq. After all, it's about time those more affected by the Libyan situation do something for a change.
Adding to the issue is the fact that Obama is currently on a South American tour. Today, he gave a press conference in Brasilia stressing that the US is playing a role in the action in Libya as French planes fly over the war zone. Many question why Obama went ahead with his South American trip in the face of this action. On the other hand, perhaps that is precisely where Obama wants to be-maybe tomorrow giving a speech from deep within the Paraguayan jungle. (Say hello to Martin Bormann.)
Meanwhile, fighting is reported to be breaking out in Benghazi as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gives a press conference in Paris pledging to assist the French in their valiant struggle to liberate somebody for the first time in their recorded history. Today, the (former) Libyan ambassador to the US, who has crossed over to the other side, is calling Qaddafi a "devil". True enough, but where was this guy during the past years when he was in Qaddafi's service?
Anyway it is too early to predict anything. If Benghazi falls, then what do we do- demand that Qaddafi step down (again)? If the mission is simply to protect the Libyan people, then they will be Qaddafi's hostages. One thing I want to see is Qaddafi dead. Given Pan Am 103, it would be so nice to see an Anglo-American rocket dropping on his head.
Gary, I know Obama can do no right with you, but your Bormann comment was more than childish. Wasn't your friend George Bush the one who put his trust in Qaddafi when Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice announced that the U.S. was restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya and held up the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya as "a model" for others to follow.
ReplyDeleteWell Ingrid, occasionally I can be quite childish. As for Bush restoring relations with Libya, I don't know if I would have echoed those words you attribute to Rice, but Gaddafi did start behaving himself for awhile. We still never paid him back for PA 103.
ReplyDeleteGary Fouse recognizes that a complicated situation is complicated, and that we can't always base our foreign policy on a demand for complete and perfect justice or else. Not bad. Furthermore, he's not entirely certain what the U.S. should be doing. However, we would all like to see Qaddafi take a fall.
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