In 1956, during the second Eisenhower administration, the people of Hungary revolted against their Soviet oppressors, in part stirred on by incitements from John Foster Dulles, the US secretary of state. Yet when Soviet troops entered Hungary to suppress the uprising, the US was unable to do anything tangible to assist the Hungarians and the revolt was crushed.
The USA was made to appear impotent, big talk but a paper tiger. Arguably the Vitenam War was an attempt to repair the damage to our credibility. It lasted almost a decade and cost the lives of 50,000 American and perhaps a million Viet-Names, both North and South.
Now we have the specter of President Barack Obama denouncing Lybia’s dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, thus providing encouragment to protestors who are being slaughtered by the hundreds, and probably thousands, and likely tens of thousands more if the rebellion fails.
NewsLanc does not advocate intervention by American troops nor that the USA unilaterally enforce a no fly zone. But the Obama administration had better quickly, within 48 hours, come up with an arrangement with NATO and hopefully with the open or tacit blessing of some Mid-East countries (apart from Israel) for the no fly arrangement. Furthermore, we should be surreptitiously delivering tons of weapons to the areas controlled by the protestors.
Gadhafi and his inner circle must be driven from Lybia! If not, the USA will be humiliated and Obama may well be a one term president.
I agree with your comment. I also believe that probably a secret no-fly zone agreement has already been worked out with NATO. But not enough planes are in place yet to carry it out, except for one carrier, an insufficient force. Other planes are probably on the way. We may have action in a couple of days. Obama and Cameron are too smart not to see the necessity for implementing this very soon, no matter what Gates has said. I hope I am right on this.