Tonight at 7:30 pm President Obama addressed the nation in defend of the actions the US has taken in Libya. There has been much criticism of Obama, especially from the more conservative senators who either believe no military action should be taken or that we must act more directly. Obama, who in my opinion is playing the situation intelligently as it unfolds, has offered aid to NATO and the UN in support of the UNSC resolution 1973 which places a "no-fly zone" over Libya. This aims to protect the rebels from air strikes ordered by the Libyan leader Gaddafi. The best point of Obama's speech, was his emphasis on how this operation will be a limited engagement and he even said "to be blunt, this will not follow the same mistakes as were taken in Iraq." By acting with other international agencies, the US will be able to shift power over to them and not bear the entire burden of protection, and later reconstruction. Obama says this shift is already happening and US involvement is being directly transfered over to NATO starting on wednesday. To the skeptics of why we should be involved, Obama addressed that it is in line with our interests to support those attempting to gain rights and democracy that we already enjoy, but that we need not take over the situation. It is far less risky to US lives and pocketbooks to offer aid and support without taking over the entire situation.
These tumultuous events in Libya are fluid and will continue to change so it is important to stay informed on these changes as they happen. That being said, I was impressed with Obama's directness about this mission and it's limited scope. I just hope it is effective and does stay as limited as we intend for it to be. A multilateral approach in this context is the only smart move and it is good to see others jumping in.
I hope to work out more of my own opinions on this situation as now, like most Americans with an interest in foreign affairs, I am overwhelmed and lost in trying to find my balance. This balance teeters between wanting to prevent a humanitarian crisis, but also not wanting to become too involved and risk our own military person's lives.
These tumultuous events in Libya are fluid and will continue to change so it is important to stay informed on these changes as they happen. That being said, I was impressed with Obama's directness about this mission and it's limited scope. I just hope it is effective and does stay as limited as we intend for it to be. A multilateral approach in this context is the only smart move and it is good to see others jumping in.
I hope to work out more of my own opinions on this situation as now, like most Americans with an interest in foreign affairs, I am overwhelmed and lost in trying to find my balance. This balance teeters between wanting to prevent a humanitarian crisis, but also not wanting to become too involved and risk our own military person's lives.
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