Lotus
03-21-2011, 01:27 PM
I won't go there on the vacation thing, because clearly you're just being silly. Or at least I hope so.
The current mission is outlined by the UN resolution to basically demobilize Quaddafi's military capibility and protect the civilians and rebel forces. This is a coalition effort led by France and Great Britian, so the U.S role, as I understand it, is pretty limited in scope right now. President Obama never said that Khadffy was or wasn't a target. His language is and should be consistent with the UN resolution. That's not weak, that's smart.
In the coming days, however, he'll have to brief congressional leaders, as he should, on how long and how much we're committed to the no fly zone and what's the end game. With the exception of a few liberal Dems, no one is questioning the 'why' or whether the president is projecting adequate leadership. Besides, how could a guy that just took out your compound where you live possibly be mistaken for weak? It's silly.
But the real reason I keep weighing in is to see how many different ways I can misspell Gadhafy's name.
I have heard Obama say that regime change is up to the Libyan people. I take that to mean that the strategy of the coalition is to create the conditions under which a revolt might be successful and then leave it up to Libyans themselves to depose Qaddafy. If so, it is not a bad strategy, in that it looks out for humanitarian issues but it doesn't lead to the inflamed tempers which would result from US ground troops and a US targeted killing.
The current mission is outlined by the UN resolution to basically demobilize Quaddafi's military capibility and protect the civilians and rebel forces. This is a coalition effort led by France and Great Britian, so the U.S role, as I understand it, is pretty limited in scope right now. President Obama never said that Khadffy was or wasn't a target. His language is and should be consistent with the UN resolution. That's not weak, that's smart.
In the coming days, however, he'll have to brief congressional leaders, as he should, on how long and how much we're committed to the no fly zone and what's the end game. With the exception of a few liberal Dems, no one is questioning the 'why' or whether the president is projecting adequate leadership. Besides, how could a guy that just took out your compound where you live possibly be mistaken for weak? It's silly.
But the real reason I keep weighing in is to see how many different ways I can misspell Gadhafy's name.
I have heard Obama say that regime change is up to the Libyan people. I take that to mean that the strategy of the coalition is to create the conditions under which a revolt might be successful and then leave it up to Libyans themselves to depose Qaddafy. If so, it is not a bad strategy, in that it looks out for humanitarian issues but it doesn't lead to the inflamed tempers which would result from US ground troops and a US targeted killing.