tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446351548038522890.post5434457510369796972..comments2024-03-08T13:21:43.158-05:00Comments on Saideman's Semi-Spew: Nuance and Expertise on LibyaSteve Saidemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09881915512311951902noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8446351548038522890.post-4901851356349416612011-03-29T12:04:14.254-04:002011-03-29T12:04:14.254-04:00The fact that, as you mention, there really is no ...The fact that, as you mention, there really is no endgame for Libya is a large part of why I question this intervention. This Al Jazeera article (http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/03/20113227357222118.html) raises a lot of "what if" questions that ought to have been considered at the outset. What if a stalemate emerges and the opposition realizes that mediated negotiations are the best way forward? Considering that the US and France among others have openly declared Qaddafi illegitimate and unfit to govern, this seems to no longer be a viable option. What if western intervention leads, as it often does, to large numbers of civilian casualties, which has the effect of escalating the war?<br /><br />I also think its way too early to declare the mission a success because Libyan civilians are safer than they were before. So much rides on what comes after the intervention that this comment is premature to say the least. It is noteworthy that rather than serving to deter other Arab governments from cracking down on their populations, this intervention has served to do just the opposite, at least in Yemen and Bahrain. It would be a shame if it turned out that intervention in Libya undermined the movements occurring in other Arab countries.PSmithnoreply@blogger.com