How Obama Fooled Me TWICE on Libya

posted at 12:16 pm on March 20, 2011 by Jazz Shaw
[ Obama ]   

Previously, as the events in Libya ratcheted up to the military level, I felt compelled to rush to the defense of President Barack Obama on his handling of the situation. (See Part One of this saga here.) I will confess, it was a rather cathartic exercise. It felt good to be able to praise the president. Most of the time when I write about Obama it concerns his domestic policy, particularly in the areas of energy and deficit management. And let’s face it… he’s been pretty much an unmitigated disaster in those concerns. But on the question of Libya, I finally got to praise him!

A number of you took me to task, saying I had analyzed the situation incorrectly and the White House wasn’t handling things nearly as brilliantly as I was depicting them. But I stuck to my guns. Clearly the President had discovered a “fourth way” to thread the needle and take action on the Libya situation without turning it into yet another American attack on a Muslim nation. It was sheer genius.

Well, that lasted all of about six hours.

US Tomahawk Cruise Missiles Hit Targets in Libya

More than 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles struck over 20 targets inside Libya today in the opening phase of an international military operation the Pentagon said was aimed at stopping attacks led by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and enforcing a U.N.-backed no-fly zone.

President Obama, speaking from Brazil shortly after he authorized the missile attacks, said they were part of a “limited military action” to protect the Libyan people.

Further, one of the key safeguards the president put in place prior to taking military action was getting the Arab League to sign on in support of the intervention. How’s that working out for us?

Arab League criticizes allied airstrikes on Libya

CAIRO (AP) — The head of the Arab League has criticized international strikes on Libya, saying they caused civilian deaths.

The Arab League’s support for a no-fly zone last week helped overcome reluctance in the West for action in Libya. The U.N. authorized not only a no-fly zone but also “all necessary measures” to protect civilians.

Amr Moussa says the military operations have gone beyond what the Arab League backed.

It took less than 24 hours for them to stab us in the back. Who could have predicted that? (/snark)

So here we go again. Not only are American cruise missiles raining down on yet another nation in that region, but additional reports indicate that our F-16s are already in the skies over the no-fly zone. And just this morning Admiral Mullen made the round of the usual shows to explain things. When asked when this would be over and what our exit strategy was, all he could say was, “well, that’s complicated.”

It’s “complicated?” That’s all you’ve got? So we have effectively learned nothing from the past. Congratulations, Mr. President. I stuck my neck out on the line for you and you promptly grabbed an ax. Thanks for nothing.

Blowback