Eight years and one day ago, the United States government disregarded international law and began the invasion of Iraq with a staggering display of “shock and awe.” On Thursday, the United Nations Security Council approved the use of force in Libya, including “all necessary measures…to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack.”
Although the U.N. resolution forbids “a foreign occupation force on any part of Libyan territory,” one must question whether such an action is off the table for the Western powers. Given the intervention in Libya, it’s relevant to consider where “all necessary measures” offered the Iraqi people has gotten them over the past eight years.
With hopes that Libyan resistance will avail themselves of the foreign powers coalition and the aegis of a UN resolution, one must have mixed feelings about a foreign (read: Western) intervention against Gadhafi. While it is unlikely that Libya will devolve into another Iraq, we are once again reminded that there is no shortcut to democracy. It can only be accomplished through an authentic, popular movement, guided by a noble political spirit, through which a national constituency can determine its future, as a whole.
If we have learned one thing from American involvement in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, it is that you cannot impose democracy by bombing strategic targets. Academic, author and British MP, Rory Stewart, who witnessed post-invasion Iraq first-hand as an emerging diplomat, has warned that we could shift quickly “from dipping our toe in the water to being submerged up to our necks.”
Back in 2003, our leaders skirted the truth about the real reasons for our national splash into military conflict. Let us make sure that our involvement in 2011 is better executed, both logistically and morally.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
