It’s Been a Long Time Coming

It’s been a long time coming, but yesterday Barack Obama finally said the words. Even America’s president is now of the opinion that Gadhafi should step down.

Ronald Reagan once called Libya’s leader, Muammar Gadhafi, “the mad dog of the Middle East,” an apt description even today when unarmed demonstrators are being shot dead on the streets of Tripoli. There is no doubt that it is Gadhafi who bears the responsibility for the shootings in Libya, shootings that have continued for several days now. But the 44th president of the United States has found it strangely difficult to call it by its name. When Barack Obama made his first statement on the crisis in Libya four days ago, he didn’t even mention Muammar Gadhafi’s name.

In the U.S., criticism has begun to grow over Obama’s extremely low profile in the Libya question. This criticism is not only coming from the Republican camp. Yesterday, even Obama did what France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy did several days ago. He exhorted Gadhafi to step down. However, this didn’t happen in a speech, but rather during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. One reason for the White House laying low is said to be out of consideration for those American citizens who have been evacuated from Libya. The evacuation was delayed, because the U.S. chartered a ferry that could not manage the high seas.

As soon as the Americans left Tripoli, the White House announced sanctions against Libya, and the U.S. gave its support for the measures that were discussed yesterday by the U.N. Security Council, such as the arms embargo and a ban on travel. None of these measures, however, will cause Gadhafi to topple in the short term.

There are only a few who desire that the U.S. military force Gadhafi out, but America should certainly demonstrate its military presence more by the Libyan coast and, thereby, increase pressure on the Libyan leader. Maybe his resignation will follow. What is certain is that until now, the Libya situation hasn’t been one of Obama’s finer moments.