The president’s speech did not clarify his views with a clear understandable policy. Commentators could not understand his plans for Libya nor his plan for other nations that are in turmoil.
While I believe it is a wonderful idea to help oppressed people around the world gain their freedom, President Obama’s speech left too many unanswered questions.
The leading question is: What is the criteria for involving the United States in the internal activities of another nation?
Second is the question of how does the United States define victory?
Even as this comment is being posted there are demonstrations and killing of civilians in Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Congo, and the Ivory Coast. Why isn’t the United States acting to protect those demonstrating civilians? The president did not answer with the needed clarity.
Look at these words from his speech. I believe these words were not only a message to the American people. They were words to both friends and enemies. I underlined a critical point below that seems to imply we will aid Libyan rebels.
the United States of America anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom. …our interests and values are at stake
tyrant – Moammar Gaddafi. Americans who were killed by Libyan agents.
Faced with this opposition, Gaddafi began attacking his people. I said that he needed to step down from power.
Gaddafi chose … military campaign against the Libyan people.
brutal repression and a looming humanitarian crisis
Gaddafi declared that he would show “no mercy” to his own people. … In the past, we had seen him hang civilians in the streets, and kill over a thousand people in a single day.
It was not in our national interest to let that happen.
Gaddafi has not yet stepped down from power, and until he does, Libya will remain dangerous. Moreover, even after Gaddafi does leave power, forty years of tyranny has left Libya fractured and without strong civil institutions.
To brush aside America’s responsibility as a leader and – more profoundly – our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. … And as President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.
I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through nonmilitary means.
We will deny the regime arms, cut off its supply of cash, assist the opposition, and work with other nations to hasten the day when Gaddafi leaves power.
Progress will be uneven, and change will come differently in different countries. There are places, like Egypt, where this change will inspire us and raise our hopes. And there will be places, like Iran, where change is fiercely suppressed. The dark forces of civil conflict and sectarian war will have to be averted, and difficult political and economic concerns addressed.
The United States will not be able to dictate the pace and scope of this change. Only the people of the region can do that.
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