Whatâs Wrong Today:
The Obama Doctrine was unveiled on TV last night. It was a workman-like job of outlining a rationale for spending more of our debt capacity on a third simultaneous adventure in the Middle East. The Wrongologist understands the Presidentâs rationale and agrees with our actions to date, even though our previous efforts to save Muslim lives (Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan) have not given the US an improved standing in the Arab world .
Turning over combat operations to NATO is a distinction without a difference: Most of the military hardware is ours and the command and control apparatus is ours too. So what do we mean when we say we are now stepping back to a limited role? I suspect we are still in the driverâs seat, making most tactical decisions on a real-time basis. And I will bet you that all the big decisions will not be made by some combo sandwich of France, Turkey and the UK.
So here is whatâs wrong: We are not enforcing a No Fly Zone, we are enforcing a No Drive Zone: NATO planes have not simply kept the Libyan air force grounded and its anti-aircraft capabilities suppressed (what President Obama said we signed up for). NATO has strafed Gaddafiâs troops and knocked out tanks and other vehicles moving on the road to Benghazi. So the No Fly Zone instantly morphed into a No Drive Zone. It isnât hard for a No Drive Zone to extend to close air support for rebel irregulars. It isnât far from that to air dropping weapons and ammunition to the valiant patriots or to parachuting in a few military advisors.
It is far from inconceivable that if air support doesnât force Gaddafi out (after all, this guy has killed Americans), we will ratchet up our commitment to the anti-Gaddafi forces. That might bring about more deaths in a civil war backed by our coalition than could die if Gaddafi puts down the rebellion with extreme prejudice.
We have seen all of this in the past, and it isnât hard to envision that it could happen again.
Americans also know about protecting the quarterback: Our guy went about the decision to engage in Libya in a risk-adverse manner: He lined up support in the Arab-speaking world, he got most of Europe to sign on, (Germany, please call us back) and got Russia and China not to veto UN Resolution 1973. He said the right things about how this one decision does not justify the US entering other nations under a cloak of concern about massacres. So Liberals, donât be stupid and try to take down Obama just because he promised us he would not get involved in unnecessary wars. You may think this one is unnecessary. But that is a judgment call, and your President disagrees with you.
Letâs say for today, that we are going to back Obamaâs play unless mission creep pollutes what was said last night.
