OBAMA'S NEW WAR

Obama's New War

Abstract

For many, the American engagement in Libya is an enigma. To complicate matters, President Barack Obama's speech about Libya in late March was filled with clichés and was ambiguous. But now that the dust is settling even as the battles continue, it is increasingly clear that the objective was different from those widely considered. The objective of this study is to discuss the current political and social situation in Libya and the intervention of U.S. and other countries to resolve the dispute and overthrow the reign of Col. Gaddafi and analyze whether the Libyan war is actually a Liberal war or Obama's War.

Table of Content

Abstractii

Introduction1

Discussion1

Historical background to the conflict1

Theoretical positions3

Conventional view - liberalism and institutional transnationalism3

Alternative theories4

Humanitarian intervention or humanitarian imperialism5

Data from Bricmont (2006)8

Past interventions (Bosnia, Somalia)8

Current non-interventions (Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, and others)10

Conclusion12

References14

Obama's New War

Introduction

Contributions of 30 military advisors from France, Britain, and Italy, as well as U.S. drones and CIA assistance holds potential to help the Libyan rebels organize and renew their momentum in what appears to be a stalemate. This crisis presents an unprecedented opportunity for a massive shift in U.S. and Libyan relations, away from a violent antagonistic past to one of cooperation that could lead to more stability in North Africa and the Middle East (Donadio 2011). If NATO efforts are successful in deposing Gaddafi and establishing a democratic government in Libya, history will smile upon “The Obama Doctrine,” and the United States' standing in the Muslim world will surely be improved. Historically, U.S.-Libyan relations have ranged from cool to violent, therefore any scenario in which Gaddafi remains in power would not be too costly for the United States to bear (Donadio 2011).

The thesis statement for this paper is “Obama's war” in Libya is without the endorsement of the congress and a clearly and unmistakably illegal.

Discussion

Historical background to the conflict

On December 17, 2010 a disenfranchised 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor set himself on fire to protest the repression and corruption of the Tunisian government (Levinson and Rosenberg 2011). This act of desperation cost the young man his life, ignited the passion and frustration of millions, and set into action a course of events that will inevitably result in the overthrow of Libyan tyrant Muammar Gaddafi. Mohamed Bouazizi's self immolation inspired protests demanding greater freedom throughout the Middle East, which led many Libyans to organize and openly defy the iron fist of their despotic leader for the first time in 42 years. For protesting 42 years of oppression endured under the boot of Gaddafi's regime, the Libyan people were attacked with helicopter gunships and extrajudicial killings by Libyan military forces and African mercenaries (Levinson and Rosenberg 2011).

The crisis reached a flashpoint in February when military attempts to suppress protests turned violent and sparked open rebellion against the brutality of Gaddafi's regime. The rebellion surged toward Libya's capital city of Tripoli, only to be repulsed by military air strikes and superior firepower. By mid March, the rebellion was on the brink of defeat ...