It is probably a little late to be intervening on behalf of the Libyan rebels. Two weeks ago assistance might have kept the momentum of the revolution in swing, but in the last few days Gaddafi has proven that he has both the will and the military might to decisively end this conflict. In the end the United States has only offered our wishy-washy political rhetoric to aid the rebels. So we froze some Gaddafi’s bank accounts. Reports have shown he has tens of billions of dollars in his own country, more than enough to keep him in mercenaries and black market arms. Even France has done more than us in this respect.
We had a chance to create a truly great friend in Northern Africa, and all we did was once again make a bitter enemy of a psychotic dictator that already disliked us. Forget about the oil. This is about something much larger than that. Why we ever wasted an opportunity to dethrone a man that has actively sought our destruction through state-funded terrorist acts is beyond me.
We should remember these days very well, because the people of Libya will remember it – at least the ones that survive the coming purges – and they will not forgive us. They might expect the African Union, the Arab League or China to ignore them, but the EU and the United States? No. Our refusal to offer anything but positive words people who are begging for our aid is such a shameful act that I am not sure how anyone in the State Department or the Oval Office can sleep at night. My only hope is that silently, behind the scenes, we are doing something to help these poor people.
