Bin Laden Success Overshadowing Libya Debacle?

 
     The situation in Libya is a disaster in the making and were it not for the Bin Laden success, this would be increasingly clear to the American People.  Lets recap what happened in Libya before our involvement. First there was the dramatic uprising of the Libyan people against a vile dictator, protests in Tripoli and rebel forces capturing important oil towns and facilities. The regime was teetering and the rebels had the momentum but could not quite force the dictator from power. They requested help from us and the West did nothing. If we were to lend our support, this was the time.  Sadly, Gadhafi regrouped and counterattacked, regaining lost ground and savagely beating back the rebels in a brutal crackdown.  A few days later Gadhafi was on the verge of crushing the uprising.  It looked as though the uprising would be put down and Gadhafi would survive.  Then in the 11th hour the ever mealymouthed U.N. passed a resolution for a "no-fly zone" to protect civilians.  Let the debacle begin!

     Just when Gadhafi was on the verge of regaining control, the U.S. and European forces move in with air power (and cruise missiles) to enforce the U.N. resolution.  At this point Obama begins making statements that Gadhafi must go.  Hmm, that is not what the U.N. resolution said.  Are we using force in Libya to protect civilians pursuant to the U.N. resolution or are we overthrowing Gadhafi?  At about the same time Obama announces that there will be no American troops on the ground in Libya and that the American military would be stepping back (taking our gunships and A-10's with us) to allow the Europeans to take the lead.  Hmm, Gadhafi must go but there will be no troops to force him out.  No troops? At this point Gadhafi must have been thrilled!  He knows we can't force him out with air power and the rebels are not very well armed or organized.  So all he has to do is wait us out.  And it is not as though Gadhaifi will have to wonder how long the U.S. will stay in the fight.  Just as he has done in Afghanistan, Obama undoubtedly will provide Gahafi with a timeline of just how long we will continue to harass him before giving up.

     So what's the endgame?  Well it is looking like either there will be a divided Libya maintained by ongoing expensive enforcement of  a no fly zone or Gadhafi will wait us out and retake all his lost territory.  Statements that "Gadhafi must go!" from the President of the United States will prove to be nothing but hollow rhetoric, and further establish Obama's weakness as a world leader.  Worse still, Obama will have managed to transform Gadhafi from a despot that had surrendered his nuclear research and backed off of terrorism to one that will likely redouble his efforts to attack our country.  So while we have taken out one terrorist leader in Pakistan, we may well be creating another, this time with the resources of an oil rich nation behind him. How long will our success against Bin Laden overshadow this disaster in the making?  Maybe Obama will give us a timeline. 

                                                                                                --Hand

        "Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning."
                                                           -- Benjamin Franklin