Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

U.S. should not engage Libya militarily

The revolution in Libya is not America’s revolution. Regardless of how difficult it may be to restrain overt military action by the United States, such as installing a “no-fly zone,” America should stay out of any intervention that would affect the final outcome of that revolution.

The Obama administration is taking a significant amount of heat from the right over its failure to become directly involved in the uprising, to come to the military aid of the rebels against Moammar Gadhafi and his forces. Nevertheless, such restraint is the correct decision at the moment. The Obama administration is quite adept at inaction, and this time it may just play to its advantage.

There is nothing wrong in condemning the wanton acts of murder committed by Gadhafi, expressing America’s deep disgust over Gadhafi’s conduct, and voicing our support for the forces of freedom to prevail in the revolution. It’s important, however, that we do not become militarily involved in this conflict. If military intervention is undertaken, let it be by a neighboring nation such as Saudi Arabia. Even if the intervening nation uses American-furnished weapons to aid the rebels, the U.S. has not become directly involved in the fight.

We must learn from past interventions that the pigeons always come home to roost, and that the results are usually not in our favor.

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