As the US war in Libya moves into its third week, officials and analysts are seeing a lot of problems with their plans, but perhaps the biggest problem is one of their own creation, the Libyan Army and its leader, long-time CIA asset Gen. Khalifa Hifter.
Hifter was a general of Moammar Gadhafi until 1987, when he was captured by Chad. The next year, he became a US proxy for an anti-Gadhafi insurgency, and after that collapsed, moved to Virginia, with occasional trips back to Libya for other failed US-backed plots.
When NATO imposed regime change in 2011, Gen. Hifter was quick to make his grand return, and has been trying to consolidate his power ever since. He announced a coup in 2014, which didn’t amount to much, and is now at the head of the army loyal to the UN-backed Tobruk government.
Which is only just now becoming a problem for a US, which launched the war nominally to unite the country under the UN-backed “unity government,” a wholly different faction. Though so far the US is focused on bombing ISIS forces in Sirte, the long-run ambition of uniting Libya is going to eventually put the US in direct conflict with every other faction in the country, and that includes Hifter’s substantial forces. US officials are already referring to him as a “spoiler” who is getting in the way of their ambitions.
Whatever it takes, we MUST control their oil
So many bad decisions. Such promanente incompetance…. Somethings never seem to change. WHY. WHY, WHY, WHY….????? Why are we killing people ALL over the world…???? Why are we interfering and dictating to the wishes of people and their elected leaders WORLDWIDE…
As we seek to snuff out any ember of national loyalty and pride… here in America AND throughout the entire world… to what are we to embrace and and revere…???? Why are we Americans being forced to pay for. Why do WE allow the crimes of our leaders to be kept secret… and. seek to jail those who expose their (our) crimes.. Why do we support all the murder rape and mayhem worldwide..??? Is it because we seek to do good..???
consider the institutional imperatives of the MIC:
1) profits for arms manufacturers and other military contractors, 2) career enhancement for military brass, civilian employees of the CIA, Pentagon, State Department, and militarist thinktanks, 3) attendant high paying jobs guaranteed by ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) for “US persons” that keep those employees loyal to the system, 4) pork for politicians and 5) blockbuster movies and sensational headlines to sell media (and also to contribute to the necessary fear and jingoism).
Measured against these institutional imperatives, our policies are a blockbuster success (many puns intended). To climb in government, the military, media or thinktankville, you must find a reason to support long-standing US foreign policy. The climber will often actually believe the goals of the policy are to spread democracy, stability and human rights even though the policies never succeed in doing that. The more crass among the climbers will admit other, less virtuous goals like control of resources or global hegemony, even though those goals are rarely attained either. Only very rarely, in the most esoteric of MIC publications, will you find any indication that we need a justification for our military expenditures.
Incompetence begets malice, what started out as an accident caused by ignorance evolves into systematic crime and aggression as the protagonist seeks to save face and cover their tracks.
The incompetence is breathtaking — and very, very true. And why it may be the logical to try to save face and cover tracks, it does not stand to reason that it is done with malice. This evolution of ignorance into systemic crime of aggression, is clear for the world to see. What is bringing on this level of incredible assuredness that the world does not matter, that they — the superior elite — see further then the rest of us, the useless mouths that need to be fed. I have come to think that these elites actually believe that without them, the mankind will be lazy and hungry, and crying out for their leadership. Atlas Shrugged, all over again.
Hifter better watch his behind. As so often with erstwhile US allies who are suddenly six feet under, “rearrangements” can arrive quickly.