Libya

I know - it's been a while since I've posted.  I'm in the final weeks of one of my courses and the final week of my campaign for school board begins tomorrow.  Beyond that, my full-time job has been quite busy of late.  Apologies for the lapse. 

Ironically, today I had the pleasure of spending some time in Washington D.C.  - albeit only an airport! 

I just watched our President's speech on Libya.  His speech was fine - fine.  First - let me say that I'm ok with what we are doing in Libya.  I'd like to see those who are closer to the conflict (Europe is only a few hundred miles away) take more of the burden.  I'd like to see the Arab League, particularly the very oil-rich country of Saudi Arabia, foot more of the bill.  However, as per usual, they don't, so we will. 

I'm unsure of Obama's end-game here.  He says Qaddafi needs to be out of power, because the world will be a better place without him. However he says that regime change is not the goal.  The two seem to go hand in hand to me.  Another bit he didn't tell us, and we don't know, is who we are helping.  Who are to opposition forces? 

He said he didn't want to wait for pictures of genocide and mass-graves.  I can applaud that stance.  

I still do not understand why we aren't concerned with obvious genocide going on in places like the Sudan.  Granted, Libya has large amounts of oil which supply Europe.  Sheppard Smith reported tonight that Italy, Germany, France, and Spain are the main recipients of Libyan oil.  I understand that allowing the overall supply of world oil to be diminished would increase prices for all of us.  However, this President doesn't seem concerned with those prices.  Instead of supporting drilling of our own MASSIVE supply of oil, he went on a trip to Brazil and offered to give them billions of dollars to explore for oil so we could "be one of your biggest customers".  

Regardless - I'd have liked to hear him say "President Bush, I apologize for denigrating the work you did in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I applaud your ability to get an international coalition together.  I also understand and agree that the world is a better place without Saddam Hussein in it and I understand that he was already filling mass graves with his civilians.  It's easy to sit outside the Oval office and judge the actions of the President, but when you are the person deciding to save innocents, or protect your own people, you HAVE to make a call.  And despite the fact that the intelligence was wrong, you were right". 

That said - in both Iraq and Afghanistan - there was a plan.  There was a goal.  Over and over we heard the term "stay the course".  Here there is not.  I'd like to see the goal of regime change.  The goal of freedom, democracy.  Historically we've seen voids in governments filled by evil-doers.  If Qaddafi is removed, who or what will take his place?  Mr. President, we've started this, we need to finish it.  If we stop now, we may leave a more dangerous situation - one inviting Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups to take over and proliferate in a country with a leadership vacuum.

The man who stood at the podium tonight was a different man than we saw a few years ago.  I think now that he's faced with the intelligence reports and the horrifying truth of what is out in this world and particularly in the middle east, he sees that American strength and military might may be the only things that can save us.  He didn't say that, but he certainly sang a different tune than we've heard before.

The final point I'm going to make may be a leap... in answering the question of why all these countries are now fighting the repression they've existed under for decades.  Why do the people of Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Libya, Yemen suddenly have the urge to stand up and fight?  Why are they willing to die - seemingly - for their freedom.  I believe that years from now this will go into history as one of the greatest legacies of George W. Bush's presidency.  I believe that the freedom found in Afghanistan and Iraq have opened the eyes of a region that's been blind.  I wish these people the best.  I wish an end to Sharia law which oppresses women horribly - going so far as to punish a woman that is raped with being stoned to death or forced to marry her rapist.  The women in the middle east are the biggest tragedy and as an American woman, I can only hope and pray that these women gain a voice.  If Barack Obama helps them to get there, then I'll have no choice but to applaud at least this part of his (I hope short-lived)  presidency.