Hands Off Libya

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/3/2/234414/5101

Hands Off Libya

by BooMan
Wed Mar 2nd, 2011 at 11:44:14 PM EST

snip//

Secretary Gates has been at pains to say that anyone who puts American land forces in Africa or the Middle East should have their head examined. And he's telling anyone who will listen that imposing a No-Fly Zone on Libya is a bad idea that we can't afford and that it will force us to demolish Libya's air defenses which would kill a lot of people and make it look like we're going to steal Libya's oil.

Obama's been working behind the scenes, but he understands what's at stake:

“There’s a great temptation to stand up and say, ‘We’ll help you rid the country of a dictator,’ ” one senior administration official said, insisting on anonymity because of the delicacy of the discussions. “But the president has been clear that what’s sweeping across the Middle East is organic to the region, and as soon as we become a military player, we’re at risk of falling into the old trap that Americans are stage-managing events for their own benefit.”

The truth is that Libya really isn't our problem or our responsibility. It's all fine for our government to call for Gaddafi to step down. But we should not interject ourselves in what is likely to be a civil war to see who can control Libya's vast oil reserves.

I'll keep saying it because it needs to be said. It would be easy for Obama to really screw up his presidency by getting Libya wrong. So far, he's right on the money.

[Jennicut]

1. It is organic and we have no business getting involved militarily.

We need to learn our lesson already.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Except Hillary kept raising the "al-kada" issue in her testimony on the Hill

and said all options were on the table, while McCain kept talking about "we need to attack our enemy" in Libya,
and Kaddafi is threatening that Bin Laden himself will come and steal the oil fields.
Among them, they have pushed every bogeyman button in the usual run up to war.
( "War" being used loosely,since only side really has any significant firepower)

And I am concerned that the euphemism "no fly zones" is being used repeatedly and monotonously
instead of the fact it means bombing Libyan targets.