US
Rethinks Strategy: War as Opportunity in Libya
02 May 2011By Ramzy Baroud
The brutality of Libyan leader Moammar Ghaddafi, and
his refusal to concede power, is costing Libya much
more than innocent lives. The country is now also
facing a possible loss of future independence and
sovereignty. From its early days, the Libyan revolt
seemed to take a difference course than those of other
Arab countries. It represented a window of opportunity
for the United States and its western allies to
reposition themselves, slowly but surely, around a
conflict that promised grueling and bloodier times
ahead.
A visit by Republican Senator John McCain to Benghazi
on April 22, was described by a CNN online report as
"a major morale boast" for the Libyan rebels. His
arrival followed a US decision to deploy predator
drones to Libya, thus promising a greater American
role in the war. According to McCain, drones are not
enough, and more will be needed to break the
"significant degree of stalemate." He described
Benghazi as a "powerful and hopeful example of what a
free Libya can be."
A small crowd chanted as the US senator met with
members of the Transitional National Council: "Thank
you John McCain! Thank you Obama…Thank you America! We
need freedom! Gadhafi go away," according to the same
report.
This decidedly American push has already inspired many
neoconservative ideologues who unfailingly endorse war
against any Arab or Muslim country that fail to tow
their line. A major hub for US intervention – most
often in support of Israeli interests – is the
American Enterprise Institute, credited for
introducing many suspicious characters to Iraq
following the ousting of Saddam Hussein. AEI scholar
Michael Rubin said that the visit by McCain "brings
more limelight to the rebels." But Rubin wants even
more than this. "If McCain can meet the people for
whom we are fighting, why not Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton? Why not Vice President Joe Biden?"
There are many indications to suggest that the US is
upgrading its involvement in the Libyan war, following
a brief period of political and military vacillation.
Much talk of a pending stalemate in the unfair fight
between poorly armed rebels and Ghaddafi's forces
preceded the actual standoff on the ground. With no
meaningful Arab action, and NATO's choosy military
involvement proving to be largely ineffective, the US
is now being urged to ‘do something.'
‘Doing something' is, of course, a difficult endeavor
in a highly volatile political season in Washington.
As miscalculations can be decisive factors in winning
or losing elections, the Obama Administration is
trying to play its cards right, moving towards more
tangible involvement in Libya, but with much caution.
What is clear, however, is that the involvement will
be more visible than before.
McCain's visit is significant, not just because of his
political seniority, but also owing to his former ‘war
hero' status. In Washington, military men are more
trusted than politicians. As he ushered in greater
American involvement in Libya, Adm. Mike Mullen,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was
contributing to the built up of rhetoric from Baghdad.
The situation in Libya is "certainly moving towards a
stalemate," he told US troops during a visit.
"Gaddafi's gotta go…(and coalition actions)…are going
to continue to put the squeeze on him until he's
gone," he said, according to Reuters (Washington Post,
April 22).
Ghaddafi's brutal treatment of civilians made their
protection a top priority for the country's rebels.
Benghazi-based rebel-spokesman, Abdul Hafidh Ghoda,
told Aljazeera: "There's no doubt that (the US
decision to send unmanned drones) will help protect
civilians, and we welcome that step from the American
administration."
But since the destruction of "somewhere between 30 and
40 percent" of Gaddafi's ground forces (according to
Mullen's estimation) achieved very little by way of
protecting civilians, more steps are expected from the
Obama Administration.
Now we are witnessing a jubilant return of previously
muted calls for interventionism and regime change in
favor of US-style democracy. While Libya may not have
specifically fallen under the Washington radar, it now
presents an opportunity too good to miss.
This realization might challenge President Obama and
force him to revise an earlier claim that the US' goal
was not regime change in Libya. In a televised speech
on March 29, Obama said, "If we tried to overthrow
Gaddafi by force our coalition would splinter. We
would likely have to put US troops on the ground to
accomplish that mission or risk killing many civilians
from the air."
But yet again, a stalemate might end up splintering
Libya itself. The US and its allies would either
accept a divided Libya – and exploit this division
whenever possible – or raise their involvement to
break the deadlock. If they opted for the latter,
there is already much rhetoric to support an upgrade
in the military mission. "Some nations may be able to
turn a blind eye (to) atrocities in other countries.
The United States of America is different, and as
president I refuse to wait for the images of slaughter
and mass graves before taking action," Obama said.
A US victory over Gaddafi may be seen as an
opportunity to boost Obama's faltering reputation just
in time for the 2012 presidential elections. But
history has repeatedly shown the high cost of
political and military arrogance. Obama himself
admitted that in Iraq, "regime change…took eight
years, thousands of American and Iraqi lives, and
nearly $1 trillion. That is not something we can
afford to repeat in Libya."
Since the military plunder in Iraq, the US has
resorted to softer and increasingly clandestine
methods to destabilize ‘unfriendly' countries. Recent
Wikileaks revelations show that Syria was always
positioned as one of these targets. Libya seemed too
stable and somewhat too distant from recent US foreign
policy estimations. However, the ongoing violence in
the country, and fear of the long-term repercussions
of a military stalemate, could change all of that.
In Washington, mood swings occur too quickly and too
often. Political opportunists know well how to turn a
challenge into an opportunity, and an opportunity into
an all-out war.
- Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an
internationally-syndicated columnist and the editor of
PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father
Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story (Pluto
Press, London), available on Amazon.com.
©
EsinIslam.Com
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