Obama's Libya Fence-Sitting Gets Him Into Trouble

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright June 15 2011
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          When Cruise missiles lit up Tripoli’s skyline March 20 there were high hopes that the U.S. could finish off Libyan strongman Moammar Kadafi.  Only two days before, U.N. Security Council authorized all means to stop Kadafi from killing Libyan civilians.  President Barack Obama had the perfect chance to complete a job once thought unthinkable:  Toppling the terrorist-mastermind responsible for the Dec. 21, 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing.  While Kadafi eventually paid reparations, his subversive ways had long plagued North Africa and the Middle East.  No sooner than U.S. Cruise missiles hit Tripoli did Barack decide to play a backseat role to NATO.  Now all the dithering has caught up with the president, with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) invoking the 90-day rule on the 1973 War Powers Act, requiring Congressional approval within three months.

            Boehner has every right to call the White House on the carpet with the War Powers Act.  Barack has no one to blame but himself, refusing to land a decisive knock out punch on Kadafi in Libya.  Deferring to the less equipped British and French has backfired on the administration, not forcing the administration to beg from Congressional approval.  Begging Congress for approval now makes the White House look weak and vacillating, the exact complaint of Republican presidential hopefuls bashing Obama during presidential debates.  Boehner wants Obama to ask Congress for approval to continue the war.  Asking Congress at this point gives the White House a black eye as Obama tries to sell voters on a second term.  With Boehner set to embarrass Obama in Congress, the president has not choice but speed up military operations and finally end Kadaifi’s reign of terror.

             Boehner’s threat to call Barack out on the War Powers Act makes good political theater at the wrong time for the president.  His approval ratings have given back nearly all his post-Bin Laden bounce, leaving Barack at an aggregate 47.8%.  While no president since Nixon has recognized the War Powers Act, Boehner wants to capitalize on opinion polls showing the American public fed up with foreign wars.  Given today’s shaky economy and ominous talks about budget cuts, invoking the War Powers Act hits the president whipped cream pie.  “It would appear that in five days, the administration will be in violation of the War Powers Resolution unless it asks for and receives authorization form Congress of withdraws all U.S. troops and resources from the mission,” Boehner said in a politically-tinged letter to Obama.  Putting Barack in the spotlight helps GOP presidential candidates.

              Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton worked in overdrive to obtain the U.N. authorization for military action and a “no fly zone.”  White House officials thought that the U.S. joining NATO’s operation bypassed the War Powers Act.  Without ground forces, Barack also thought there’d be no objections in Congress.  Boehner seized the chance to embarrass the administration now that the race for the White House gets underway.  More bad news on the economy has also exposed a chink in Obama’s armor, giving the GOP a chance to score more points.  “We are in the final stages of preparing extensive information for the House and Senate that will address a host of issues . . “ said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, responding  to Boehner’s request.  Regardless of what the Barack provides, the GOP will continue to find clever ways in which to embarrass the White House.

            When Obama decided to take a backseat to NATO, he lost control of the Libyan operation.  White House officials were concerned that the U.S. would go beyond the U.N. mandate trying to topple Kadafi.  Failing to install ground forces made the mission all but impossible.  Unlike other ground wars, including former President Bill Clinton’s successful 1999 air-war in Serbia, Kadafi was prepared to stay holed up and allow NATO to bomb Libya into the Stone Age.  Giving NATO the lead provided cover for the White House but has backfired.  With NATO in a standoff in Libya, the White House has egg on its face.  What could have been a great political windfall for Obama has turned into a liability.  Forcing Barack’s hand on the War Powers Act reminds a skeptical public that the U.S. has failed in Libya.  It took former President George W. Bush about a month to topple the Taliban and Saddam Hussein.

            Barack faces some difficult decisions going forward in Libya.  If he complies with Boehner and asks for Congressional approval, it’s by no means certain, especially with the GOP and liberal Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) opposing the operation.  Had Barack not deferred to NATO and done what’s necessary to finish off Kadafi, he wouldn’t face today’s headwinds in Libya.  Allowing NATO to take the political heat backfired, stretching the war out far too long.  Boehner asks Obama for a “compelling rationale” to continue the necessary funding.  Whether the Libyan operation violates the War Powers Resolution or not, Barack wasted too much time.  Most Republicans in Congress want to see the U.S. operation succeed in Libya.  Obama needs to get off the fence, make his best case for getting rid of Kadafi, take a lead role and ask for Congressional for the resources to finish the job. 

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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