Is There an Obama Doctrine?Don't Fixate on Timetables.WesClark

[elleng]

The biggest befuddlement of public opinion has been the "gap" between the military objective of protecting innocent civilians and the overall U.S. policy objective of having Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi leave Libya. Not every use of force must mean "total war," followed by "unconditional surrender." And there's no logical reason that military force must be used to the exclusion of other foreign policy means, nor that these other means cannot point toward a goal beyond the military's objective. In the course of U.S. history we have almost always mixed diplomacy and force of arms, beginning with our own revolution.

The truth is that no one can know how or when the U.S. goal in Libya will be met. It could be that the deepening diplomatic and economic isolation of Libya discourages the mercenaries, or breaks the will of Colonel Qaddafi's supportive tribes or key associates. Perhaps it will be Colonel Qaddafi's indictment by the International Criminal Court that breaks him. Perhaps the opposition will create its own political blueprint for Libya that will charm away the Libyan leader's supporters. But for every move, we can be sure that Colonel Qaddafi will have his countermoves: hiring mercenaries, sowing the opposition with his secret agents, multiple threats and blandishments within Libya and beyond. So, this will be an ongoing struggle waged by many means.>>>

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/03/29/is-there-really-an-obama-doctrine/an-ongoing-struggle-for-us-policy-toward-libya

[Bluenorthwest]

1. No timetables is already taken as a 'doctrine'

George W. Bush, 6/24/05:

“It doesn’t make any sense to have a timetable. You know, if you give a timetable, you’re — you’re conceding too much to the enemy.”

So it is not like an original idea, it has been the driving doctrine for 10 years or so now and it was fully articulated by GW long ago.

[elleng]

2. Better than the headline,

'the U.S. has joined the coalition to protect innocent civilians, and strongly aligning the U.S. with international law, our own values, the responsibility to protect American allies.'