So, about that mission creep. We haven’t even begun and we’ve already got it.
With the advances made by loyalists, there is growing consensus in the Obama administration that imposing a no-flight zone over Libya would no longer make much of a difference, and that the White House is considering more aggressive airstrikes, which would make targets of Colonel Qaddafi’s tanks and heavy artillery — an option sometimes referred to as a “no-drive zone.” The United States or its allies could also send military personnel to advise and train the rebels, an official said.
Some of us could tell you, and did tell you, that it was too late for a no-fly zone and that a no-fly zone was never going to be sufficient. What people are asking us to do is to go into Libya and oust Gaddafi and set up a replacement government. No doubt, this isn’t a totally unreasonable request considering who Gaddafi is and what he will probably do to the people who rebelled against his rule. But we’re busy right now. We have a lot of other things on our plate. And becoming the de facto rulers of Libya is not something we need to be taking on. And let me be real clear about something. If we’re thinking of bombing Libya’s ground forces and sending in military advisers and equipment, let’s not bother with the latter half of it. Just go in strong and get the regime change part of it over quickly. We know how to do that without any post-invasion planning. We know how to do it without having a clue about the local power players. We know how to create a really deadly civil war and preside over the total collapse of an Arab country. Maybe Libya won’t be as bad as Iraq. Maybe they’ll really throw roses and chocolates at us this time. Maybe all the tribes will get together and have a wonderful constitutional convention and agree to split power and spoils equitably. Or, maybe they won’t. Who cares anymore? Let’s just do something because god forbid we let something bad happen somewhere in the world when he had the power to stop it.
So, I’m serious. Don’t dick around with no-drive zones and military advisers. Either stay out of it entirely, or go get the bastard and put him in the Hague.
