The mere preparation of drone strikes over Libya to attack Islamists radicals s is enough to capture the headlines and also to potentially explode the good will that was developing between the USA and Libya in the wake of the attacks. The NYT's Eric Schmidt broke the story with U.S. Said to Be Preparing Potential Targets Tied to Libya Attack. In my view, now is a highly fragile time for post-Qadhafi Libya. The newly elected government is trying to cement its authority and the Libyan population is finally mobilized against the militias and radical Islamists in their midst. American drone strikes no matter how few civilians they kill or how effective they are at disrupting Ansar al-Shari'a's operations would erode the outpouring of sympathy for the United States that has characterized the Libyan street over the last weeks. It would also likely tip the balance in favor of the militias in their efforts to avoid their demobilization by the Libyan authorities. In short, although there is an electoral reason for Obama to engage in such strikes, they are likely to have exactly the opposite of the intended effect by strengthening the hardcore jihadist elements in Libya. America should invest in training Libyan security personnel and vocational training programs-- not drone strikes.
U.S. Said to Be Preparing Potential Targets Tied to Libya Attack