Although the situation in Libya remains fluid, it can safely be said that its leader for the past 42 years, Muammar Qadhafi, is no longer charge, and never will be again.
And it can be said that though the U.S. certainly spent money and provided personnel as being part of the NATO-led mission, our fight with Libya was never as grounded or as urgent as was that of our chief European allies, Britain’s David Cameron and France’s Nicholas Sarkozy.
And yes, President Obama exacerbated tensions with members of both parties by blowing off the War Powers Act and never asking for a vote from Congress on our military involvement with Libya and NATO, instead saying we weren’t really involved in “major hostilities.”
But having said all of that, isn’t this a win for President Obama, all in all?
Not if you listen to any of the GOP candidates for president, whose daily job is to find something to criticize about the commander in chief. Or, as the Wall Street Journal opined on Tuesday, “Though you wouldn’t know it from the reaction at the Council on Foreign Relations or among some GOP Presidential candidates, this is a victory for freedom and U.S. national interests.”
This article appears in Aug 18-24, 2011.
