Overview for libya

Intel Experts: 'Don't Quit Until Qaddafi's Gone'

Monday, the president argued the case for our mission in Libya. FF asked members of the intel community for their views on the Obama doctrine. In his Libyan speech, President Obama established the Obama Doctrine:  America would intervene to stop a murderous tyrant from massacring their citizens.  …

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Written by Elise Cooper on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Obama's Real Libya Goal: Regime Change

Obama’s Libya speech was intended to reassure voters that the U.S. was only intervening to save lives and not pushing for regime change. Unfortunately, it's just not true. It was a good speech, but it told us nothing that we don’t know. President Barack Obama’s intent was to reassure the …

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Written by Peter Worthington on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Libyan Dissidents: We Can Rebuild Post-Qaddafi

In a forum in Washington Monday night, Libyan dissidents claimed they could unite the country. But with few concrete plans, will the West need to play a greater role? On a night when the nation listened to President Obama make his case for the U.S. led coalition’s intervention in Libya, the …

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Written by Bryce McNitt on Tuesday March 29, 2011

Obama's Libyan "Mission Accomplished" Moment

As written and delivered, President Obama's speech on Libya was preposterous. "I hope you are not merely pretending to be wicked, while being secretly good. That would be hypocrisy." As written and delivered, President Obama's speech on Libya was preposterous. We intervened in the midst of …

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Written by David Frum on Monday March 28, 2011

What Obama Should Say About Libya

Sometimes it seems Obama has been so concerned to avoid offending Middle Eastern opinion on Libya that he has disregarded American opinion. President Obama's communications efforts on Libya have received generally bad reviews. Sometimes it has seemed the president has been so concerned to avoid …

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Written by David Frum on Monday March 28, 2011

Does the White House Know Obama's Libya Plan?

It's never a good sign when the president's spokesman tells you that the president's strategy is clear, without being able to reiterate clearly what the strategy is. This is never good: Asked about concerns raised the day before in a letter by the House speaker, John A. Boehner, Mr. Obama’s …

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Written by David Frum on Friday March 25, 2011

The U.S. Army Critiques the Libya Campaign

President Obama should have taken a look at the U.S. Army Field Manual before signing up for the Libyan no-fly zone mission. From the U.S. Army Field Manual: For every objective, ensure unity of command under one responsible commander. From Thursday's New York Times : Only on …

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Written by David Frum on Thursday March 24, 2011

Libya & Yemen: The Next Al Qaeda Strongholds?

By concentrating so much American force in a remote place like Afghanistan, are we missing larger and nearer dangers in places like Libya and Yemen? Question: Why are we in Afghanistan? Answer: To prevent al Qaeda from reestablishing its safe havens in that country. Q: Why did …

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Written by David Frum on Wednesday March 23, 2011

Obama Takes Page from Wolfowitz's Playbook

Obama once dismissed Paul Wolfowitz as an "arm-chair weekend warrior." Now he's relying on his doctrine to make the case for intervening in Libya. In late February, as the Libyan crisis unfolded, former Undersecretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz made an impassioned plea for the United States to …

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Written by Tim Hodgson on Wednesday March 23, 2011

The Beltway's Libya Flip-Out

Like many, I find myself frustrated by Obama’s handling of the crisis in Libya, but even more upset with the critics -- from both right and left. I just can’t seem to help myself. I may be stubborn, stupid, or congenitally contrarian--or some combination of all three. I find myself having been …

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Written by Les Francis on Wednesday March 23, 2011

Obama's Libya Plan: What's the Endgame?

Obama says it is US "policy" that Qaddafi must go. Yet, Defense Secretary Gates says US operations in Libya will dwindle over the next few days. Does any of this add up? So Defense Secretary Bob Gates says the US opposes the division of Libya into autonomous zones. Yet US war aims do not …

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Written by David Frum on Tuesday March 22, 2011

Why Did Obama Bypass Congress on Libya?

It's very strange and odd that Obama didn't seek congressional authorization before launching strikes on Libya. Will Congress make him regret the decision? It's very strange and odd that President Obama did not seek congressional authorization before launching strikes on Libya. In his mind, he …

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Written by David Frum on Monday March 21, 2011

France's Grudge Match with Qaddafi

Don't be surprised by Sarkozy’s leadership of the intervention in Libya. For years, France has been champing at the bit to send Qaddafi packing. Many commentators seem surprised by France’s enthusiastic leadership of the intervention in Libya.  They should not be.  It arguably makes perfect sense …

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Written by Jonathan Foreman on Monday March 21, 2011

The Arab League's No-Fly Flip-Flop

Has Obama’s failure to commit to regime change in Libya undermined Arab support for Operation Odyssey Dawn? Conservative commentators such as Contentions’ Abe Greenwald are understandably frustrated at the Arab League, which, apparently, was for the no-fly zone before it was against it. Or, …

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Written by John Guardiano on Monday March 21, 2011

America Takes the Backseat

For one of the few times since WWII, the U.S. isn't taking the lead in a necessary military action. But having the U.S. play a supporting role may be good for the West. The essential significance of the 22-nation attack on Libya is not that it’ll get rid of Muammar Qaddafi, but that it marks a …

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Written by Peter Worthington on Monday March 21, 2011

War by Committee

The enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya is being described as America's "third war". But with no clear objective it's more like a glorified international police action. "War is diplomacy by other means." - Clausewitz "You are a professional, but the world is full of dangerous amateurs."  …

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Written by Sean Linnane on Sunday March 20, 2011

Follower-in-Chief

In his desire not to repeat our open-ended commitments in Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama's just pledged the U.S. to an open-ended fight in Libya. It’s not just generals who fight the last war. President Obama’s speech about Libya on Friday afternoon served notice: he is still fighting against the …

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Written by David Frum on Friday March 18, 2011

Should the West Ignore Qaddafi's Ceasefire?

UPDATED: It's a pity the UN didn’t show resolve weeks ago when Qaddafi was vulnerable. Now he's declared a ceasefire. Is it too late for regime change? Does the UN know what it’s doing? It makes little sense for the UN Security Council to have waited until Muammar Qaddafi had rebounded to …

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Written by Peter Worthington on Friday March 18, 2011

Obama’s Libyan Opportunity

A success in Libya could give Obama cover for a faster windup of the war in Afghanistan. A success in Libya could give cover for a faster windup of the war in Afghanistan. With Saddam and Qaddafi overthrown, it may not matter so much that we were unable to build a stable government in poor and …

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Written by David Frum on Friday March 18, 2011

Enforcing the No-Fly Zone

In a normal time, imposing a no-fly zone upon a country like Libya would be an easy exercise of US power. But three wars is a lot even for America. Obama moves on Libya. Probably not the last move either. Here's where the anti-interventionists have a point: in a normal time, imposing a no-fly zone …

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Written by David Frum on Thursday March 17, 2011