“The end of the Qadaffi regime in Libya is a victory for the Libyan people and for the broader cause of freedom in the Middle East and throughout the world. This achievement was made possible first and foremost by the struggle and sacrifice of countless Libyans, whose courage and perseverance we applaud. We also commend our British, French, and other allies, as well as our Arab partners, especially Qatar and the UAE, for their leadership in this conflict. Americans can be proud of the role our country has played in helping to defeat Qaddafi, but we regret that this success was so long in coming due to the failure of the United States to employ the full weight of our airpower. […] – Senators McCain and Graham
WASHINGTON – Boy, the day Pres. Obama got Osama bin Laden, I bet Cindy had to pull John McCain off the ceiling.
Now, I remain against the notion that regime change is smart U.S. foreign policy. But one thing you cannot call what is happening in Libya is “failure.”
The only thing I did agree upon when Pres. Obama launched his Libyan gamble was letting Pres. Sarkozy take the lead, along with PM Cameron. It’s the only thing that made sense out of the operation.
Lawrence Korb was on with Melissa Harris-Perry last night, who is subbing for Lawrence O’Donnell (and doing a brilliant job as she always does). Mr. Korb rightly criticized McCain and Graham, using Iraq to do it, while saying Obama’s “patience” paid off. This is a ridiculous statement, because it’s not like Pres. Obama had a choice when Gadhafi didn’t quit when “days, not weeks” turned into 6 months, which isn’t a minor point.
But anyone watching the news can tell that what Obama, Clinton, Power, Rice, et al. hoped and intended would manifest is currently unfolding. There was likely a collective exhale and some satisfaction on what the Obama administration’s decision ended up meaning for the rebels, because this story just as easily could have gone the other way.
I’m a “what’s next?” type of foreign policy type. It’s like getting all excited about getting married, but not thinking about the day after when you have to live with the person you’ve chosen and what comes next. Day to day living can be tedious and tough, too. So, I am cautiously hopeful, while thrilled watching the news of the Libyan rebels, knowing this isn’t close to being over, with many minefields ahead.
There also remains a danger that the regime change that is occurring in Libya will be considered smart U.S. policy, because like Bush, Obama chose that route, too, but did so with a country not in our strategic interest. We’ve also now made Libya just that, a strategic interest, but we won’t be able to affect what’s going on. This continues to make the situation precarious for us, but this isn’t about us and never has been.
But calling the results a “failure” because of lack of airpower? This is simply wrong.
An added benefit that made me smile is that Pres. Assad of Syria has got to be feeling a bit queasy about the news coming out of Libya.
Not bad for $896 million.
Regime change is now what we do.
Taylor Marsh is a Washington based political analyst, writer and commentator on national politics, foreign policy, and women in power. A veteran national politics writer, Taylor’s been writing on the web since 1996. She has reported from the White House, been profiled in the Washington Post, The New Republic, and has been seen on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, CNN, MSNBC, Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Arabic, as well as on radio across the dial and on satellite, including the BBC. Marsh lives in the Washington, D.C. area. This column is cross posted from her blog.