Editorial: U.S. took prudent tack in Libya
A Libyan rebel fighter prays to Allah as he stands on the monument inside the main Moammar Gadhafi compound in Bab Al-Aziziya in Tripoli, Libya (Aug. 23, 2011). Credit: AP
When NATO's Libya mission officially ends tomorrow, it will punctuate the success of President Barack Obama's decision to commit the U.S. military to a limited role in that nation's insurgency. NATO ministers Friday officially terminated the air campaign, one day after the United Nations Security Council canceled the mandate that led to the mission.
NATO's air cover prevented the civilian massacre Moammar Gadhafi promised and played a pivotal role in ousting the terrorist dictator. Obama's controversial approach, derided as "leading from behind," allowed the United States to do its part without putting boots on the ground. While civilians were killed in the civil unrest that followed and the tough work of forming a democratic government remains, the military mission was accomplished without the loss of one American life. hN
