In Libya, the US once again fails to stand with people it claims to support.
One of the most surprising aspects of the revolution in Egypt was the speed with which the transition occurred. A relatively small number of protestors gathered, calling for the ouster of long time President (dictator) and Western Ally Hosni Mubarak. Almost immediately, the US government, including President Obama began calling for Mubarak to step down. It was all over in less than three weeks.
There is no doubt that Mubarak would not be gone had it not been for his ‘friend’ the US showing him the door. After waffling initially (and throughout the process), the Obama administration adopted a Mubarak must go strategy. Public pressure (and no doubt much greater behind the scene pressure) was applied to Mubarak and the members of the military. Most likely, threats of pulling US aid were made, and our longtime ally was gone.
Contrast this to the reaction of President Obama and his administration to the pro-democracy protests in Iran in 2009. There is little doubt that the protestors were inspired by the President’s word in the Cairo speech calling for greater freedom throughout the Muslim world. The opposition forces surely thought they had a friend in the US. But as this author noted at the time (http://snipr.com/27h7lx), Obama stood by idly, not wanting to ‘meddle’ in Iran’s politics. With no true support from the US and the west, and after an initial flurry of coverage, near radio silence by the mainstream media allowed the dictatorial regime in Iran to enact a brutal crackdown, crushing the opposition while their ‘friends’ in the US said and did nothing.
But one need not even go back to 2009 to see this administration’s willingness to support dictators who are not friends of the United States. President Obama threw a gala state dinner for China’s President Hu Jintau. There was no need to tarnish such a grand celebration with confrontation on human rights issues. When asked about China’s human rights record, about all President Obama could say is that China ‘has a different form of government’ than we do. Really? Such harsh words will surely bring about changes in the dismal human rights record of the very undemocratic Peoples Republic I am sure.
Now we are seeing the seeds of democracy growing throughout the dictatorial regimes of the Middle East. Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan and others have massive pro-reform movements, and protests by the people against their repressive governments, and the US seems to be content to sit this out. Even thought we couldn’t wait to show our ‘friend’ Mubarak the door.
Libya is the most shocking case. Obama has stated that ‘Ghadafi must go,’ and the administration has very tentatively backed the rebels. But while we dither (Obama has had more rounds of golf than words or actions on Libya) the rebels that we professed to be ‘friends’ of are being slaughtered by the superior forces loyal to one of the most brutal dictators in the world, and one that is clearly an enemy to the US.
The author is not naïve enough to believe that what we are seeing is simply small d democracy in action in these cases. There is little doubt that pro-extremist Muslim organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda and others are using and fomenting these rebellions for their own purposes. But the fact cannot be overlooked that these movements in countries like Libya would remove a clear enemy of the West in Ghadafi.
So the message seems to be clear: if you are a friend of the US, we are happy to abandon you. But if you are an enemy of the State like Iran or Libya, or if we need your cash and cheap goods like China, we will do nothing to upset the status quo.
With friends like the US, who needs enemies? Just ask Mubarak or the protestors in Iran and Libya. And let’s not be surprised when we find no takers in the Muslim world the next time we seek an ally to stick their necks out to support US anti-terrorism efforts or other policy priorites.
Copyright 2011 Reprint permitted with the following citation:
TJPaine
Un^Common Sense
Dedicated to the Advancement of Americanism
http://uncommonsense-tpaine.blogspot.com/
