The U.S Role in the Libyan Conflict
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-03-28/us-role-libyan-conflict
President Obama will deliver a speech to the nation tonight about Libya. He's expected to address some of the many questions Americans have about U.S. involvement in the North African nation. Yesterday NATO agreed to take over command of the allied military campaign in Libya. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said actions by the U.S. and NATO to implement a no-fly zone had averted a humanitarian disaster. But some U.S. lawmakers of both major parties remain skeptical. We'll talk about what, in effect, it means for NATO to take control and what the U.S. role is likely to be in the months to come.
Guests
Nicholas Burns
professor in the practice of diplomacy and international politics at the Harvard Kennedy School and former undersecretary for political affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
David Schenker
Aufzien fellow and director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former top policy aide on the Arab countries of the Levant at the Pentagon.
Phyllis Bennis
director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies; author of "Ending the Iraq War: A Primer."
Comments
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I conceive of it this way: Every cruise missile costs about $.5million to construct and fire. And each one fired obliterates the viability of at least one or more American families that were on the brink of dissolution and called out in vain to the federal government for intervention or assistance. If we were a barbarian tribe we'd be one that made arrows while our babies starved. The national defense excuse, with all these bases and conflicts that benefit the wealthiest investors, is a big can of crap. Cut military spending now and cut it drastically to save our nation. And I'm not going to apologize to or thank career military personnel. No one glorifies people who are not well trained and well armed mass murderers when they lose their jobs, even when they are overworked medical employees or farmworkers growing our food. This "cowboy mentality" is killing the planet. Try feeding people when they cry out from hunger, not grabbing their natural resources.
Oh yeah, who was it that sold Libya all these heavy weapons in the first place? We have pictures of all the arms salespersons (diplomats?) shaking hands with great dictators.
It's kind of like a "gun show" in Texas or North Carolina where none of the rules apply, and the "powers that be" look the other way. Maybe your property is not so much protected by "Smith and Wesson" as your prosperity is "held up" by it.
Watched Gates and Hillary yesterday.
They are both pulling things out of their buttocks to justify "the regime change".
Condi Rice and Rumsfeld all over again. Lies, lies, leis.
Hillary/Gates/AIPAC/Tel-Aviv .... their original decision was the Overthrow + Punish Ghadafi - he has said terrible things against Israel in the past ... just Google.
Why would Libyan soldiers kill their own people/civillians?
Why would USA support a bunch of tribal primitively armed fundementalis guys to overthrow a government that is stable and recognized by United Nations and is supported by 95% of the secular, western oriented and educated (by American Teachers)?
Look at the pictures of downtown Grosny in Chechnia when it was being bombed by Russian jets ... oh my God ... not a single apartment building without a hit ... what the hell United Nations done when Russian were killing their own Civillian People?
The armed rebels with machines guns on Toyota trucks getting close to Tripoli ... the Libyan military is torn to pieces with American Tax Payer paid Bombs .... will they not kill civilians?
Whether this will be a long military campaign or not, will be decided within the next hours. If Gadaffi's homwtown falls and the rebels reach Masarata within days, next weel Diane Rehm's guest will be discussing about the composition regarding the new Libian government.
Regarding Ms. Bennis objections. Yhe U.N. resolution says "by all necessary means". According to the Al-Jazeera, a very relaible news sources, it is now emerging how the Gaddafi troops have been using rape as a weapon of war.
Yes, it is right that present political events make of Libya an international exception. If the popular insurrection fails in Libya, say farewell to the Arab Spring anywhere east of Libya. Believe it or not, a new international paradigm might be emerging under our owns eyes. I am hopeful.
As a constitutional democratic republic, we operate, at least in theory, under the rule of law. While it is true that there are two parts to law, its letter and its spirit, with the latter hopefully moderating the former, there is little question that both were violated by our entrance into the Libyan conflict.
It is fair to say that most of us who voted for Mr. Obama had expected, amongst many other things, a return to an Executive Branch of our government that would abide by our Constitution - at least in its spirit. Sadly, we what we actually got was a third term of the previous administration in far too many ways. An opportunity that arises perhaps once in several generations has been squandered, indeed lost.
Stop calling them rebels!
You want clarity in war? Are you serious.
Think WW II was easy to judge in the beginning? Of course not!
George
Is Obama now a practicing multilateralist?
I would like to hear why the Arab League which has not one democracy in it is somehow able to give sanction to the United States to attack another Arab autocrat for behaving like a dictator.
Also, were the Arab League subject to western governments' pressure to undretake this operation? I heard that Joe Biden was on the phone to these guys trying to convince them to take part in the attck on Libya.
Thanks for having Phyllis Bennis on.
If I had to sum up the Obama administrations actions in Libya as a phrase, it would be “You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.”
I can’t help but feel that a lot of the negative feedback the administration is receiving is politically motivated. If Obama chose not to get involved, I think he would be criticized by the same people for not taking action.
Hope you have Phyllis Bennis on more frequently. Also wish you had pointed out the
cynical foreign policy hypocrisy of ignoring the humanitarian crises visited on the
Palestinians by Israel.
I have to agree with Nicholas Burns, and on some points with Phyllis Bennis. Yes, this action is not in keeping with most of the U.S. actions in the region. However, this does not undermine its humanitarian impulse.
A sea change is underway in the world, this rupture in the status quo called the 'Arab Spring.' Libya is a tipping point.
This moment of rupture started with Tunisia, then Egypt, then most vividly Libya. It captured the world's attention and broke through the denial and resignation of the Western world to our look-the-other-way business-as-usual policy.
While we can begin to make our diplomatic and political actions in other Middle Eastern countries more consistent with our actions in Egypt and Libya, the inconsistency of this new policy of being guided primarily by principle not be reason to trash or suspect it. It represents a new direction, and thus admittedly departs from our past and present responses. Change happens gradually, however; change in U.S. policy in this instance has actually been momentous and head-spinningly rapid -- and much, much needed.
Obama's emphasis in moving rapidly, *with* other nations, to intervene in slaughter at the people's request, is a resumption of principled American leadership to be lauded.
Regardless of the outcome of the situation in Libya, standing with the people against repression also happens to be a critical to winning hearts and minds of the people in the Arab world -- in a genuine way -- a key strategy in the war against terror.
What is the use of the whole world watching if it is not ready to act -- within parameters, when and how asked -- upon what it sees?
Our purpose is to root for democracy, and to intervene -- in a limited capacity -- when egregious violations of human decency occur on a mass scale in the course of this struggle.
Then we step back (as we are doing) -- the fight is not ours to win or lose. It belongs to the people.
Sure, why not another war. It's what we do, right? And it would be so nice if Obama gets a statue.
Listen up people.
GADDAFI HAS TO BE PUNISHED!!!
Here is the reason:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142350
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41564012/ns/world_news-mideast/n_africa/
Gaddafi to Arab 'Refugees': March on Israel
by Maayana Miskin
Libyan dictator Muammer Gaddafi has called for a mass Arab march on Israel, in an attempt to force Israel into accepting Arab demands. He directed his call to Palestinian Authority Arabs and to the millions of Arabs who define themselves as “Palestinian refugees” that seek to “return” to Israel.
By Ali Shuaib
Reuters
updated 2/13/2011 3:49:01 PM ET 2011-02-13T20:49:01
Share Print Font: +-TRIPOLI — Palestinian refugees should capitalize on the wave of popular revolts in the Middle East by massing peacefully on the borders of Israel until it gives in to their demands, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said Sunday.
Gaddafi is respected in many parts of the Arab world for his uncompromising criticism of Israel and Arab leaders who have dealings with the Jewish state, though some people in the region dismiss his initiatives as unrealistic.
..He was giving his first major speech since a popular uprising in neighboring Egypt forced President Hosni Mubarak to resign, an event which electrified the Arab world and prompted speculation that other Arab governments could also be toppled.
"Fleets of boats should take Palestinians ... and wait by the Palestinian shores until the problem is resolved," Gaddafi was shown saying on state television. "This is a time of popular revolutions."