U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, March 28, 2011. Photographer: Dennis Brack/Pool via BloombergThe progression of U.S. involvement in Libya’s civil war is troubling on many levels. It’s certainly not that the United States wants Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to stay in power. Far from it. He is a dictator. No freedom-loving nation would regret his departure.
But Libya has not posed any imminent threat to the United States. So however awful Gadhafi is, it was not justified for our country to get involved in military action to support rebels who are opposing him.
Unfortunately, we have gotten involved anyhow.
First, President Barack Obama relied on a U.N. resolution to justify U.S. participation in strikes against forces controlled by Gadhafi. But the president failed to get a constitutionally required declaration of war by the Congress of the United States.
Then, the administration said the United States was handing over the mission to NATO and pulling back to a supporting role, with further U.S. air strikes only if there were a formal request by NATO and approval of that request by Washington.