OBAMA THE LEADER – AT 8:22 A.M. ET:  We've been following closely the effects of President Obama's lack of leadership – or confused leadership – during the Libya combat.  Europeans understand that this marks a turning point in America's role in the world.  Obama doesn't like that role, but the results of his pulling back can be catastrophic.  From Financial Times:

Transatlantic relations are being tested by the US’s refusal to lead the military mission in Libya, with figures on both sides of the ocean depicting the conflict as a wake-up call for Europe’s military and political establishments.

Britain and France are straining to fill the gap left by Washington’s decision to pull back, as Europe’s military ambitions are tested.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that it had flown 1,600 sorties since operations began on March 19 and would no longer be involved in air strikes against Libyan targets. It would continue support missions, such as aerial refuelling, and would remain on alert for emergency strike missions, if requested by Nato.

Defence experts maintain that the US move has a longer-term significance, since it signals that Europeans cannot rely on Washington to provide security in crises in their neighbourhood.

“What we’ve seen in Libya is hugely significant,” said Lord Hutton, a former defence secretary in the last Labour government. “The US has been saying for 10 or 15 years that it wants the Europeans to share more of the security burden and we have to heed that lesson. We should be doing much more in Europe. We cannot go on expecting the US to take the leading role.”

COMMENT:  It is correct to say that Europe has sponged off the US for too long, cutting its own defense budgets to appease the powerful European left, yet expecting us to do the heavy lifting.  In that sense, Obama's pulling back may be a good thing.

But there are right ways and wrong ways to withdraw, and Obama has decidedly chosen the wrong way.  He has pulled American forces back in the midst of a major crisis.  If any other country had done that to us, we'd call it a betrayal.  In addition, Obama has pulled forces back without a clear strategy.

Libyan rebel sources – whoever they are – are now telling news organizations that NATO is now a problem:

Libyan rebels have accused Nato of being too slow to act - and asked them to suspend operations unless they "do the job properly".

Oh great.  What a dream operation.  We've going to antagonize just about everyone, and benefit no one. 

This isn't change we can believe in.

April 6, 2011