Bremer’s comments came after a dizzying day of news in the nation where the optimism of the Arab Spring that swept through the Middle East seemed to have become mired in Libya’s armed uprising against Khadafy, who defiantly held onto power over the months since the rebellion’s start.
Skeptics from both the left and the right had warned of getting involved in yet another foreign conflict as the United States was trying to extricate itself from Iraq and Afghanistan. Some objected because it was unclear whether Libya was in the strategic interests of the United States; others objected because President Obama had not sought approval in Congress under the War Powers Resolution.
For Bremer, the fact that the United States didn’t commit its full forces and was allowing NATO to take the lead in the campaign meant the goal of ousting Khadafy would be impossible. He acknowledged that the administration’s strategy paid off.
“The objective was to get rid of Khadafy, and apparently we’ve gotten rid of Khadafy,’’ he said.
Senator John F. Kerry, an early proponent of using the US military to protect Libyans, said the progress made by rebels showed that the administration was right.
The key now, he said, will be deciding how best to assist the new government, which is expected to be developed by the Libyan Transitional National Council. Perils remain in the meantime, he said.
“There are still forces around that can create violence in the next days,’’ he said.
Kerry’s view that the apparent end of Khadafy’s reign justifies the means was not universally shared. One critic of the administration, Representative Allen West, a Florida Republican, used Twitter to make his skepticism known, writing from a trip to Israel that “I’m reserving my euphoria about the events in Libya.’’
