Echoing calls among liberals concerned about violence in Libya, Republican neocon Paul Wolfowitz wants President Obama and the U.S. to escalate their response to the Libyan revolution. The former U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under President Bush, Wolfowitz is criticizing the US response and is calling for the supply of weapons and "any support" desired by the rebels. Wolfowitz also wants NATO planes to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya.
Writing for the AIE, in It’s Too Late for Dithering Wolfowitz says:
More public statements, or even the imposition of sanctions, are of absolutely no use at this point. Much more urgent action is needed. The United States should be seeking U.N. approval for:— Recognition of a provisional authority in liberated areas (or even a Provisional Government of Free Libya if the Libyans can organize a credible one), initially in Benghazi in the east and Misurata in the west, which seem to be liberated, although are still under threat of air attack;
— Provision by member countries, including specifically Egypt and Tunisia, of any support requested by these provisional authorities;
— Imposition of a NATO-supported “no fly” zone over Libya to halt further bombing by Qaddafi’s forces;
— Urgent supply of food and medical supplies to any point in Libya that is accessible by road or by military transport aircraft;
— Provision of arms to the provisional authorities.
Wolfowitz goes on to praise the "unbelievably brave Libyan people" and says that it is shameful that "without any risk to American lives" we continue to not do enough to help. He ends his article by writing that he is concerned that by our inaction we will acquire a " terrible reputation ... among the Libyan people and throughout the region."
Not surprisingly, Wolfowitz would like to escalate the response to Libya further than most liberals. While those on the left have generally only counseled strong diplomatic efforts or called for a No-Fly Zone, Wolfowitz is ready and willing to send weapons to one side in a budding civil war. Enforcing a No-Fly Zone had some success in protecting Iraqi Kurds from Saddam Hussein. However, there are countless examples where the riskier strategy of supplying rebels with weapons has been more successful at creating a prolonged civil war than minimizing bloodshed.
The rightest of right-wingers, Wolfowitz is of course less known for being a humanitarian and more well known for being the author of the imperialistic Wolfowitz Doctrine. That he is itching to escalate US involvement in oil-rich Libya should not be a surprise. Before we follow his lead let's please think very carefully about just how far we're willing to go to throw out Gaddafi.
While a No-Fly Zone might well be successful in limiting civilian deaths from fire by military jets and helicopters it can do nothing to stop artillery, bombs, and small-arms fire by troops loyal to Gaddafi on the ground. In fact, any action short of putting our own troops on the ground in Libya may not be enough to stop Gaddafi. But that action would also obviously have no guarantee of success. So the question becomes: How far should we go in our efforts to achieve regime change in Libya?