U.S.-Led Global Coalition Attacks Kadafi

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright March 19, 2011
All Rights Reserved.                                         

              Attacking Libya with 112 Tomahawk Cruise missiles, the U.S. and Britain put an exclamation mark on the March 17 U.N. resolution giving a tightly knit coalition the authorization to use military force to stop 62-year-old Col. Moammar Kadafi’s relentless attack on rebel forces.  Marching his army toward the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, coalition forces struck in the 11th hour, just before his forces launched its assault on Benghazi.  “I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice and it’s not a choice I make lightly,” said President Barack Obama, agreeing to military operations against Libya.  Before U.S. and U.K.’s Cruise missiles hit Kadafi’s strongholds in Tripoli and Misratah and Zurk, French warplanes struck Libya’s antiquated Russian-built missile defense system.  When Kadafi promised “no mercy” to Libyan rebels, Obama gave the green light.

            Since the Libyan revolt began March 11 in the wake of Tunisia and Egypt’s successful nonviolent revolutions, Kadafi grew more determined to use violence to stop Libya’s pro-reform movement.  He’s blamed Libya’s unrest on al-Qaeda, refusing to accept Libya’s repudiation of his 42-year-rule.  Kadafi, who dresses routinely in West African garbs, once proclaimed himself Arab and Africa’s de facto leader, following the footsteps of the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.  Unlike Nasser, who fought and won Egypt’s 1952 independence from Britain, Kadafi has been associated with subversion, political assassination and terrorism through his 42-year reign.  Kadafi hoped his son Seif Islam would lead Libya’s army to victory in Benghazi before the U.S. and coalition forces attacked.  Defying yesterday’s ceasefire, Kadafi hoped to stall and buy Seif more time.

            Leading the diplomatic charge against Kadafi, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pressed and got an international coalition to de-fang the tyrant.  “We have every reason to fear that left unchecked, Kadafi would commit unspeakable atrocities,” Hillary told her NATO and Arab partners in Paris today.  “Further delay will only will only put more civilians at risk.  So lets me be very clear on the position of the United States.  We will support an international coalition as it takes all necessary measure to enforce” the U.N. resolution,” said Hillary, pushing for urgent military action.  Kadafi responded to today’s attacks, calling recent attacks a “crusade,” despite blaming the nationwide revolt on Osama bin Laden.  He begged his Arab and African friends to come to his rescue, despite siding with the late Serbian tyrant Slobodan Milocevic in his 1998 genocide on Serbia’s Muslim ethnic Albanians.

            Hillary worked hard to get the same strong international coalition that her husband, former President Bill Clinton, got in 1998 when he went to war against Milocevic to stop a Serbian-perpetrated Muslim genocide.  In a national TV address, Kadafi asked Libya’s friends, including Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, for help.  “We ask other to stand by us,” said Kadafi.  “We must now open the weapons depot and arms to all Libyans,” preparing Libya to fight the Western invaders.  “Libya is not yours.  Libya is for Libyans,” Kadafi wrote in an open letter to Obama.  “If you had found them taking over American cities with armed force, tell me what you would do,” asked Kadafi, raising some interesting points.  Kadafi’s right that the U.S. wouldn’t tolerate insurrection by indigenous armed groups in the United States, no matter what the rationale.

            Over the past 42 years, Kadafi has burnt almost every bridge in North Africa and the Middle East.  His only friends, like Castro and Chavez, use him for political purposes, not because they’re true allies.  Kadafi’s son, Seif, called the decision to go to war against Libya a “big mistake.”  “We want to live in peace, so we want Americans to help us get rid of the remnants of those people and to have a peaceful country, more Democratic,” said Seif, oblivious to world consensus against his father’s regime.  “We are not going to use force to go beyond a well-defined goal, specifically the protection of civilians in Libya,” said Obama, stating for the record he has to intent of turning Libya into another Iraq or Afghanistan.  With Iraq and Afghanistan still usurping the Pentagon, Obama can’t let Libya to spread the military too thin.  Obama wants America’s allies to do some of the heavy lifting.

            Kadafi showed he's too crazy to promote his own self-preservation instincts.  Defying the U.N. resolution caused the coalition to pounce on his regime.  He overplayed a bad hand when he could have folded and tried to regroup.  Until he surrenders unconditionally, Kadafi will display his bravado and grandiosity.  If his military has any control, they’d place him under house arrest before Libya’s infrastructure is bombed into the Stone Age.  “If you want to help us, help us to, you know, to be democracy, more freedom, peaceful, not to threaten us with air strikes.  We will not be afraid.  Come on!” said Seif, summing up just how far Kadafi’s regime has broke with reality.  When they say the “head stinks from the head down” they’re not kidding.  Kadafi’s craziness infiltrates his entire government.  Before it’s too late, responsible members in Libya should take him out.

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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