The administration’s approach had been criticized across a broad political spectrum of U.S. lawmakers and activists, who see a lack of leadership in Obama’s part-of-a-team approach.
But David Mack, a former senior U.S. diplomat in the Middle East, said Obama is aware of the dangers of another clash with Libya that Gaddafi could cast as unilateral American intervention. Mack cited the 1986 bombing raid of a Gaddafi compound authorized by then-President Reagan, who dubbed the Libyan leader “the mad dog of the Middle East.”
“The rhetoric was very satisfying,” Mack said. But despite the bombing, unilateral financial sanctions, and covert arming of Libyan rebels, he said, “we didn’t change his behavior one whit.”
The U.S. government is more unpopular in the Muslim world than it was in the 1980s, after a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which the United States invaded in 2003 without U.N. support.
On Saturday, Clinton emphasized the role that Middle Eastern countries are playing in the operation, saying that the recent Arab League endorsement of no-fly zone over a member country “changed the diplomatic landscape.” At least three Arab countries have promised to contribute to the military operation, U.S. officials said.
As the military operation began, Sarkozy appeared to take a more central role than Obama. He made the first announcement that the military operations had begun, declaring to a large audience gathered for the summit that French warplanes had been dispatched to Libya. Clinton, by contrast, spoke only to the handful of American reporters traveling with her.
The muted diplomacy and message is a way to play down the conflict to the American public as well. A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that more than six in 10 Americans do not believe the United States has a responsibility to do something to stop the conflict in Libya.
Beyond public opinion, the Pentagon is also wary about the resources that a prolonged military operation in Libya will require and whether its current goal of protecting civilians will expand to include Gaddafi’s removal. Obama has said the Libyan leader “must leave.”
But for now, the U.S. military is in charge of the intervention in Libya.
International military forces are operating under the command of Gen. Carter F. Ham, head of the U.S. African Command. The Pentagon says command will be turned over to the coalition in coming days, although which country will lead it remains unclear.
Wilson reported from Washington.
Loading...
Comments