Gadafi games

15 March 2011. I am no fan of henchmen like Gadafi and his sons as I prefer representative forms of government providing the strongest protections for minorities to brutal selfish autocracies. Assuming the Libyan rebels seek greater freedom and representation in their own governance, the question is “what is the most effective course of U.S. actions there?” Unlike Afghanistan, where U.S. policy makers justified war by transforming the terrorist threat of al Qaida (operating in Afghanistan) into a national threat (the governing Taliban were responsible), two different segments of the Libyan population (one bad, one not well understood) are in conflict, and the bad segment is rapidly getting the upper hand. Further, although our government’s record is not perfect (Darfur, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, etc.), the general tendency of American foreign policy is to do the right thing (Haiti, tsunami responses). Americans like to see action on problems. Unfortunately, events in Libya appear to be moving too fast for our bloated government to make a military response (military responses take planning and preparation in order to succeed, and I believe the rapid deployment force is occupied elsewhere). So, what is an effective course of action at this point? Here’s my suggestion. By the end of today, we should recognize the sovereignty of the rebel government over all of Libya (those areas currently controlled by Gadafi would be labeled “disputed territory “). Next, by end of day tomorrow we should have a diplomatic mission in Benghazi. Finally, the President should announce publicly that any further military action by Gadafi military against the Benghazi government would be treated as an act of war requiring our swiftest possible military response. It’s the game of chicken that we have played with Gadafi before. He backed down then, and he will back down now because he knows what it means to have his tent rattled. After Iraq and Afghanistan, I don’t think there is a single autocrat in the Middle East that wants to step over a line drawn in the sand by the President of the United States.