The current military action in Libya is not the same as the Iraq War. Plain and simple. In 2002 and 2003, the United States cooked up a reason to go to war based on faulty intelligence and post-9/11 hysteria. The U.S. went to the U.N., couldn’t get a military resolution, and we invaded Iraq anyway. In Libya’s case, the U.S. and our allies are riding with our allies in NATO on the back of a U.N. Security Council resolution.
In 2003, the U.S. took up the brunt of the military combat, with a sizable British contribution and minimal assistance from other allies. In Libya, we’ve flown about half of the sorties thus far, with NATO on board.
In 2003, we invaded a country that was, at the very least, semi-stable. Now, we’re assisting an already ongoing revolution. The anti-Gaddafi forces had been pleading for days for world leaders to come to their assistance, as they could not take on the pro-Gaddafi military alone.
The Iraq War is a different conflict with different circumstances, and I believe this conflict in Libya will have a different outcome.
Editor's note: This letters is a response to this editorial.
