Time to make history

President Obama yesterday declared Gaddafi to be “on the wrong side of history.”  By this he presumably means that in the long-term Gaddafi is finished.  The trouble is it does not look as if the Colonel is finished anytime soon.  History can be a long time in the future.

Things are moving, slowly.  The Arab League is meeting today to discuss a no-fly zone over Libya.  The head of the Libyan Interim National Transitional Council, who now has the honor of a substantial price on his head offered by Gaddafi, has called for a sea blockade as well.  The Americans, belatedly in my view, have announced that they will establish liaison with the Council.  The president of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, made a strong statement calling for Gaddafi to step down but did not call explicitly for a no-fly zone and in fact offered no indication of concrete steps the EU is taking to force Gaddafi out.  NATO is reportedly studying military options.  But the African Union has issued a fence-sitting declaration that excludes military intervention.

Gaddafi has said he will turn Libya into another Vietnam.  In a perverse sense, he has already done that, with his forces playing the unfortunate role of the Americans in Vietnam.  But the Americans held on for a long time in Vietnam, and Gaddafi may do likewise in Libya.  He knows, as does Washington, that no one is even thinking about putting American boots on the ground.  The Iraq/Afghanistan Syndrome is much in evidence, with Defense Secretary Gates making it clear he does not want to take military action against Gaddafi.

The issue now is how to keep the rebellion alive while we all deliberate.  Humanitarian assistance to the rebel-held areas is becoming urgent, as supplies there are dwindling.  A shift in the military balance is also important.  Gaddafi’s forces have taken Zawiya in the west and likely also Ras Lanuf towards the east.  Superior fire power and organization are giving Tripoli important advantages.  We can all hope that the Libyans will handle this situation on their own, or that the Arab League or EU will rescue the rebellion.

But in our heart of hearts, we know that international leadership lies with the Americans.  When did Europe or the Arab League ever take decisive action?  Everyone is waiting for President Obama to make history in the present, without waiting for it to happen in the future.  He has a lot of options. The time has come to choose the ones he wants to pursue.