-By Warner Todd Huston
The military action in Libya undertaken by a “coalition of the willing” at the end of last week is, from an American perspective, as vexing as it is elating. On one hand it is good that the US came to the aid of a people yearning to over thrown a murderous dictator, but on the other it is troubling that America is going into this with no plan, no policy, and no idea who the players on the rebel side even are.
On top of all that President Obama is going ahead with this intervention in precisely the same ways that he pointedly criticized President Bush for doing in Iraq. In fact, some on the American left are leveling just that accusation him.
Then there is the split opinion of those on the right. On one hand you have those that were bemoaning the lack of American leadership in the world, those that were startled that France was taking the lead in Libya, those who are celebrating over Obama’s late-in-coming decision. However, other conservatives are saying we should stay out of Libya because we don’t have the slightest clue if we are about to usher in another Islamist “revolution” if Gaddhafi should fall.
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Military Action in Libya: Conundrums and Calculations”