Staff editorial: Supporting Libya

Foreign intervention is a messy business, and the United States’ actions in Libya are no exception. The implementation of a no-fly zone has enraged parts of the international community who believe that this is another imperialist effort in the Middle East. Even some in Congress are incensed about a perceived lack of clarity when it comes to our mission there.  

While there is something to be said for the need for more transparency in this situation, that should not dictate the overall sentiment of our presence there.

The people of Libya have cheered the allied forces’ decision to intervene on their behalf. Without our presence there, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi would surely have committed genocide to squash out the rebellion. The violence enacted upon the Libyan people was without parallel. Even the murder of dissidents in neighboring Arab states does not begin to compare.  

There is no better point to illustrate the importance of this mission than the recent events involving a Libyan woman. Iman al-Obeidi escaped from prison to find foreign journalists at a government-minded hotel. Before being dragged off by Qaddafi’s thugs she explained her abused condition as being caused by a brigade loyal to the government — 15 men who raped, beat and defecated on her. Her mother told the Washington Post, “We will force Qaddafi down. France, Obama, America, please come and save my daughter.”

The situation in Libya is highly complex and violate. The actions of the allied forces there have been welcome, but they also come with a price. We will remain in the country for months, perhaps years, and the bloodshed does not end here.  

It is true that our intervention there is partly motivated by Libya’s natural resources and its strategic importance to France and Italy. Bringing democracy to the region is certainly not what our success will based on — but we hope our actions there will guide the region to more freedom.