The Libyan dilemma

To bomb, or not to bomb. That is the question.

Shall the United States overthrow the regime in yet another Muslim country? That is what HolyJoe and McNothing want us to do, apparently.

Obama is being the adult in the room. No cowboy, trigger-happy Texan he. We're already fighting two wars in two other Muslim countries, with the American people increasingly wanting us to get out of both, now. If we use our military forces in Libya, then what about Yemen or Bahrain, if they blow up? And what about Iran . . . and others? Shall we just take on the whole Muslim world at once?

Hawks like McNothing and HolyJoe, to say nothing of all the politically motivated critics of Obama, will find fault with whatever Obama does. But that hawkish pair are calling for a military intervention.

So, what about enforcing a no-fly zone over Tripoli, which would destroy Gaddafi's means of retaliating against the rebels? It's certainly tempting to step in and give them that much help. Libyans are being mowed down in the streets by Gaddafi's air force.

The Obama administration is not about to do that alone. He and British Prime Minister David Cameron have been conferring about options. The British Foreign Secretary said a no-fly zone would require "a clear legal basis, a demonstrable need and strong international support and broad support in the region and a readiness to participate in it." Britain and France are reportedly working on a proposed no-fly zone resolution to present to the U.N. Security Council.

It's interesting that none of the dozen or so possible GOP presidential candidates has put forth a clear plan for what he/she would do in Obama's place; instead just saying that Obama's is being too cautious, too weak, too passive. It's those former presidential candidate-losers (HolyJoe and McNothing) who are saying what he should do.

It's not an easy decision -- if you have to take responsibility for the consequences. Or if you have to face the voters a year from now, which neither HolyJoe or McNothing will have to do.

Ralph

PS: Update: The ever-incautious Newt has released a statement that the U.S. should "execute a no-fly zone this afternoon." Newt knows how to throw bombs -- he doesn't have any idea that you don't just "execute a no-fly zone" with the snap of a finger. Which is why he would perhaps be more dangerous in the Oval office than She Who Shall Not Be Named. Newt would be even more incautious than Dubya.

Newt needs to go back to school and learn the difference between bold and fool-hearty. He thinks he's being bold when he's being fool-hearty.