Obama Faces His Biggest Test in Libya

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright March 4, 2011
All Rights Reserved.                               

               President Barack Obama faced a nationally televised press conference with a wind at his back from an improving economy but must now deal with his most pivotal foreign policy test of his administration.  Facing withering criticism of his handling of Egypt just a few weeks ago, Barack must demonstrate support for Libya’s pro-reform protesters currently being massacred on the streets of Tripoli.  Watching Tunisia and Egypt fall to pro-reform demonstrators last month, Libya’s fledgling protest movement finally unloaded 42-years of frustration on 68-year-old Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi.  Unlike Hosni Mubarak in Egypt who gracefully bowed out Feb. 11 after minimal bloodshed, Kadafi vowed to fight till “the last drop of blood.”  Because the White House knows they’re dealing with a different kind of tyrant with Kadafi, they know the potential for intolerable bloodshed.

            Speaking at the White House, Obama insisted Kadafi can no longer lead Libya and must leave office.  He deployed two U.S. warships to the Libyan Mediterranean coast, stopping short of promising U.S. military intervention.  “We have engineered the most rapid and forceful set of sanctions, freezing the assets of Kadafi, imposing severe sanctions against those in the Libyan government, and as a consequence we have seen broad-based mobilization in the international community,” hinting that the U.S. would not act unilaterally without U.N. approval.  When the late President Ronald Reagan bombed Libya Oct. 14, 1986 without U.N. approval, only 10 days after Kadafi’s agents bombed a Berlin nightclub injuring U.S. soldiers, U.S. foreign policy didn’t ask for U.N. approval.  Obama knows that U.S. prestige is on the line to do something to stop Kadafi’s relentless reign of terror..

            Hitting protesters with teargas and machine guns, Kadafi aimed to reestablish government control in Tripoli.  Eighteen days into Libya’s upheaval, rebel forces control the Eastern port cities of Benghazi and Zawiya.  Kadafi’s response has grown more intolerant and violent, now firing tear gas before pro-regime militias, opening fire on protestors with automatic weapons.  “The people want to bring the regime down,” chanted 1,500 pro-rebel protesters in the Tajour district of Tripoli, while pro-regime militias fired teargas and live ammo on crowds seeking refuge in Murad Agha mosque.  “All these people are threatened with death,” said an unnamed 35-year-old protester taking refuge in the mosque, promising no surrender to Kadafi’s forces.  Watching Libyan’s mowed down in the streets, Obama can’t wait too much longer before ordering the military into action.

            Obama knows that Libya can’t fall back into Kadafi’s hands.  His elite Khamis Brigade bombarded the city of Zawiya, killing rebel commander Col Hussein Darbouk, dealing a big blow to rebel forces.  Before Benghazi or Zawiya fall back into Kadafi’s hands, Barack must make a fateful decision whether it’s time for the U.S. military to really do something productive.  Bogged down in go-nowhere nation-building projects in Iraq and Afghanistan, Libya and other potential hotspots remind the White House why the U.S. military must complete its missions and get out.  Watching Libyan rebels massacred by Kadafi’s thugs without proper backup calls out for immediate U.S. involvement. By the time the U.N. gets around to the issue, Kadafi will crush all opposition.  Britain, France, Italy and Spain all want Kadafi out.  Angela Merkel’s self-serving Germany refuses to act.

            With Col. Darbout out, rebel forces need a shot in the arm to help get rid of Kadafi.  When Kadafi gave Pan Am Flight 103 Libyan bomber Abdel Basset Ali al-Meghrahi a hero’s welcome Aug. 21, 2009, the reparations were no consolation for Libya’s egregious terrorism.  In the waning days of the Reagan administration, it was too late to intervene when al-Meghrahi blew up the airliner Dec. 21, 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland.  Given the nationwide revolt against Kadafi, the Obama administration can’t let the tyrant stay in power.  Given the mutiny within the Libyan army, Kadafi’s forces are already teetering on collapse.  Just a little U.S. help should topple one of North Africa’s mightiest palm trees, a toxic political influence with ties to Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Cuba’s Fidel Castro and practically every known U.S. enemy, including former Serbian dictator Slobodan Milocevic.

            Obama administration officials must pick their battles wisely.  Libya’s revolution promises to destabilize world oil markets until commodity exchanges see Kadafi out.  Spiraling oil prices promise to derail today’s fragile global economic recovery.  Given rebels progress in Eastern Libya, the U.S. must consult with its European allies and form a multinational plan to end Kadafi’s reign.  Allowing him to return to power would continue to destabilize oil markets and play havoc in Libya and North Africa.  Watching Kadafi’s armed thugs mow down peaceful demonstrators around Libya offends any civilized human.  If Kadafi remains in power, he will surely conduct one of the most bloody purges in modern history.  If Barack sits on his hands and the world watches the Gestapo-like extermination of all Libyan opposition, the U.S. will lose all global credibility or relevance.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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