The U.S. Is Arming Libya For Peace?

As Libyan government forces attack the rebels (called "militants" in countries where the U.S. opposes them), in the last 2 to 3 weeks, the U.S. has been arming those rebels. And C.I.A. operatives are working with them.

The U.S. is now in three wars, the latest one a civil war with Libya's men, women and children in the middle. My heart goes out to them and I fear for their safety. It is sad the U.S. didn't first attempt to mediate this dispute before becoming a combatant.

Now, as U.S. missiles and arms are actively involved and potentially C.I.A. hired "contractors" could be, one must ask: How many lives are expendable there? What are the U.S. objectives? Is there an exit strategy or any time frame? And as the U.S. is deeply in debt and getting deeper by the day as its citizens struggle, how much money will this cost and where will that money come from?

In the 1980's in Iraq, the U.S. heavily armed its close ally Saddam Hussein and in Afghanistan, it assisted and armed the "Freedom Fighters," who President Reagan was so impressed by, in 1986 he had some of them in the Oval Office. Unfortunately, they evolved into the Taliban and are now arch-enemies using those weapons to kill U.S. soldiers. While in Nicaragua, the U.S. armed other "Freedom Fighters," the Contras, who later turned out to be a right wing death squad.

If the U.S. wants peace, it must seek it through peaceful means. For in reaching out to our brethren, which we are able to do with brutal authoritarian governments in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and elsewhere we can assist their citizens to obtain the voice they seek. Otherwise, as happened in Darfur and Rwanda, we will look the other way as bloodbaths are unleashed or as in Iraq, Afghanistan and potentially Libya, we become a brutal occupier despised by their people and drained of our moral and financial resources.

Dick
For more details about what had been the U.S.'s secret involvement in Libya, please see http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/30/us-libya-usa-order-idUSTRE72T6H220110330