Obama, Libya and the Consequences of 'Leading from Behind'

COMMENTARY | As news spread that Muammar el-Qaddafi had run away and squirreled himself off in a hole somewhere and as satellite news feeds showing the Libyan people celebrating in the streets of Tripoli began streaming around the world, Democrats and the president's loyal supporters in the liberal media took a much-needed yet entirely too premature opportunity to gloat and claim vindication regarding Obama's qualifications as a world leader.

"For Barack Obama," wrote Michael Hirsh of the National Journal, "'leading from behind' has never looked so - decisive."

Joe Cirincione of the Huffington Post said, while "there is mop-up fighting" to deal with and "much work" that needed to be done to consolidate a new Libyan government, "the victory of this rebellion against one of the longest ruling dictators in the world marks a stunning success for President Barack Obama's global strategy."

"We've accomplished what we needed," the Daily Caller reported senior fellow at the Democratic-affiliated Center for American Progress Mark Korb saying. "The killing has been halted, no U.S. ground troops are committed, and the mission is supported by the United Nations and the Arab League, so Obama won't face a political backlash at home."

"Politically," Korb concluded, "he's golden."

Golden?

Consider this: While initial numbers showed no immediate approval bump for the president following the death of Osama bin Laden, a Washington Post/Pew Research poll later showed a delayed reaction 9-point bounce. It vanished quickly. Then his numbers fell lower. At that time, Gallup showed the economy as the biggest concern for Americans.

Regarding Obama's "kinetic military action" in Libya, a recent CNN poll has also showed no approval bump "so far." When it comes to making the claim that "we've accomplished what we needed," perhaps Korb should consider the recent Quinnipiac poll that shows 62 percent of American voters disapprove of the president's achievements with the economy, reports The Daily Caller.

Before Libya, only 42 percent disapproved.

"The best news for the president is that voters still blame former president George W. Bush rather than Obama for the economy," concluded Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "One can only imagine what Obama's approval rating might look like if that ever changes."

So while the senior fellow at the Democratic-affiliated Center for American Progress attempts to comfort himself with the belief that Obama is "golden" because he has yet to "face political backlash back at home," I would advise Mr. Korb to give it time.

On Aug. 22, Lachlan Markay of The Heritage Foundation cautioned that the "'principal source' of the legislation" for Libya's Draft Constitutional Charter for the Transitional Stage is Sharia law. Markay also points back to the previous warning of Heritage Fellow Jim Phillips that Islamist forces "appear to make up a small but not insignificant part of the opposition coalition" and must be prevented "from hijacking Libya's future."

Where "parts of the draft Constitution allay those fears," Markay admonished, "others exacerbate them."

You would think that because the NATO alliance felt a need back in March to "sternly" warn the rebels in Libya "not to attack civilians as they push against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi," reports The New York Times, that Markay's caveat would have sent up at least one red flag. But that the president chose to dismiss the potential impact of funding an effort lead by a rebel commander who "admits his fighters have al-Qaeda links," according to The Telegraph, is mind-boggling.

On Aug. 29, The Associated Press reported of African Union chairman Jean Ping's concerns that Libyan rebels were "indiscriminately killing black people because they have confused innocent migrant workers with mercenaries," citing fear as the reason why the continental body has yet to recognize insurgent forces as Libya's interim government.

According to Chairman Ping, the National Transitional Council "seems to confuse black people with mercenaries" because, to them, "all blacks are mercenaries."

"If you do that it means one-third of the population of Libya, which is black, is also mercenaries," Ping explained of the danger posed by NTC logic. "They are killing people, normal workers, mistreating them."

On Sept. 1, Ben Hubbard of AP reported that "rebel forces and armed civilians are rounding up thousands of black Libyans and migrants from sub-Sahara Africa, accusing them of fighting for ousted strongman Moammar Gadhafi and holding them in makeshift jails across the capital."

"Handling the prisoners is one of the first major tests for the rebel leaders," Hubbard wrote of the nascent Libyan government that - "unlike the dictatorship they overthrew" - promised to "respect human rights and international norms."

I suppose it's simply a coincidence that six months ago Elias Biryabarema of The Independent reported the Bank of Uganda had taken over Tropical Africa Bank - owned 99.7 percent by the Libyan government - and had "nationalized Libyan companies" and appointed "new managers and boards to replace those previously appointed by the Libyan government."

So, with absolutely no evidence that they have committed any crime, fledgling Justice Minister Mohammed al-Alagi believes incarcerating 200 innocent black men in a makeshift jail - where they stand "clustered on a soccer field, bunching against a high wall to avoid the scorching sun" - is a good first step in building a new Libya upon a foundation of "tolerance and freedom?"

So much for assurances that rebel objectives won't be based on "revenge."

After rebels in Egypt toppled the government of President Hosni Mubarak, Patrick Worsnip of Reuters wrote the article "People's revolutions don't guarantee democracy." While vacationing at Martha's Vineyard, after rebels in Libya toppled the regime of el-Qaddafi, President Obama said the country was "slipping from the grasp of a tyrant" and urged the defunct dictator to relinquish power to prevent more bloodshed.

"The future of Libya is now in the hands of the Libyan people," Obama said.

Unfortunately, during the entire course of "leading from behind," the president apparently never took the time to look ahead and assess, or even consider, what that future would be like once Libya had been seized by the fist of insurrection.

"Your revolution is your own," Obama told the Libyan people, according to NBC News. "Now the Libya that you deserve is within your reach." And, while acknowledging that there are "huge challenges ahead," the president assured them their victory proves "fear can give way to hope."

However, to quote American writer Margaret Weis, "Hope is the denial of reality."

Sources:

Michael Hirsh, "For Obama, a nuanced victory in Libya" National Journal

Neil Munro, "On Libya, Democrats debate whether it is mission accomplished", The Daily Caller

"Washington Post-Pew Research Center Poll", Washington Post

Conn Carroll, "Obama's Osama-bounce gone", The Washington Examiner

"Obama Approval Rally Largely Over", Gallup

"U.S. Subgroups Say Economy, Jobs Are Most Important Problem", Gallup

Byron York, "White House: Libya fight is not war, it's 'kinetic military action'" The Washington Examiner

"CNN Poll: So far, Obama gets no bounce from Libya", CNN

"Obama's approval rating hits record low in Quinnipiac poll", The Daily Caller

"March 30, 2011 - Obama Gets Lowest Approval, Reelect Score Ever, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; More Voters Oppose U.S. Involvement In Libya", Quinnipiac University

Lachlan Markay, "Libyan Draft Constitution: Sharia is 'Principal Source of Legislation'", Heritage Foundation

Thom Shanker and Charlie Savage, "NATO Warns Rebels Against Attacking Civilians", New York Times

Praveen Swami, "Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-Qaeda links", The Telegraph

"AU: Libya rebels may be indiscriminately killing black workers, mistaking them for mercenaries", Associated Press/Washington Post

"Libyan rebels round up black Africans", Associated Press

Elias Biryabarema, "Is govt takeover of Libyan assets a blessing or curse?", The Independent

Patrick Worsnip, "ANALYSIS - People's revolutions don't guarantee democracy", Reuters

Domenico Montanaro, "Obama: The 'future of Libya is in the hands of its people'", NBC News