LIBYA UPDATE – AT 10:16 P.M. ET:  President Obama, before leaving on an exciting, fun-filled trip to Latin America, made a bizarre statement to the American people today, explaining what action may be taken in Libya, following the adoption of a UN resolution authorizing force. 

The statement was bizarre for several reasons.  First, Obama sounded "tough," although he's been waffling for weeks.  It's reported that even Hillary Clinton was becoming fed up with him.  He's waffled so long that the rebels on the ground in Libya have lost almost everything they'd gained.  Also, it appeared to me that he sounded tough because some adviser told him to "sound tough" due to perceptions that he is weak.  Those aren't only perceptions.

Second, it was bizarre because Obama stressed that no American ground troops would ever be sent.  Now, I don't favor U.S. ground troops in Libya, but one of the first rules of strategy is never to tell your plans to the enemy.  One of the tragic reasons for the Korean War was that Secretary of State Dean Acheson, in a January, 1950 speech, left South Korea out of the U.S. defense line, sending a message to the Communist nations that we would not defend it.  North Korea, with massive Soviet help, invaded South Korea in June of that year. 

Third, on the single most important issue – Obama's previous insistence that Gaddafi had to go – the president was strangely silent today.  The signal:  We won't insist on that.  But if Gadaffi can remain in place, what is the point of this whole exercise?  Well, the president says it's humanitarian.  In that case, why aren't we asking for UN resolutions about Bahrain, Yemen, and a host of other places?  Our goals, and strategies, seem to change from day to day.

At last report, the cease-fire announced by the Libyan foreign minister this morning has not taken hold.  The next step may occur over the weekend, when, it's anticipated, France and Britain may send jets over Libya as a warning.  But, despite some table thumping by the president today, things seem very vague as to objective and willingness to use resrouces.  And the appearances created by Mr. Obama's "flying down to Rio" (from an old movie of the same name) are not very positive.

Stay tuned.  Be as tolerant as you can.  We don't have Churchill in the White House.

March 18, 2011