Ice
05-16-2006, 20:15
http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=20&artnum=2&issue=20060515
Foreign Policy: Welcome, Libya, to the Axis of the Reformed. Enjoy the benefits of renouncing terrorism and the advantages of full diplomatic relations with the U.S. And don't look back.
We don't take Monday's State Department announcement as an indication that Libya is now a model nation. Col. Moammar Gadhafi's Tripoli regime needs a lesson in how to treat dissidents — hint: no prison time unless they've committed a real crime — as well as a hard turn away from its tribal socialist economic system and power structure that installs revolutionary leaders for life. For the highest councils of government, free elections would be a good idea.
But Libya appears to have gone through — or is going through — a conversion in the way it relates to the rest of the world. As the remains of Saddam Hussein's rule smoldered in 2003, Tripoli rejected terrorism. It also abandoned its programs for producing weapons of mass destruction and took responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, a terrorist act that killed 270 people.
For this repentance, thank President Bush's promise to punish terrorists and their support structures. Gadhafi might not want to be with us, but seeing terrorist regimes in Afghanistan and then Iraq routed by the U.S. and its allies, he quickly decided that he didn't want to be against us.
Are we giving too much credit to the Bush administration? Consider the comments of a Capitol Hill Democrat.
"Libya has thoroughly altered its behavior," said Rep. Tom Lantos, ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee. "In taking these actions, the United States dramatically demonstrates to the remaining rogue states — and particularly to Iran — that our country takes note of positive changes in behavior and is more than willing to reciprocate."
No, Lantos doesn't mention Bush policies by name. He couldn't afford to, not with the media and security-soft Democrats having convinced the nation that the White House has bungled everything related to Iraq.
But from our reading it's clear that Lantos believes that U.S. foreign policy has forced Libya to shun its past and seek a new path of diplomacy that doesn't use terrorism and nuclear arms as leverage.
Even Hans Blix, former United Nations chief weapons inspector and a strong critic of Bush's foreign policy, has held a similar view. Too bad he won't use his influence to try to help Iran and North Korea see the same thing.
Atleast something good has come out of Iraq. I am pleased to see us restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya.
Foreign Policy: Welcome, Libya, to the Axis of the Reformed. Enjoy the benefits of renouncing terrorism and the advantages of full diplomatic relations with the U.S. And don't look back.
We don't take Monday's State Department announcement as an indication that Libya is now a model nation. Col. Moammar Gadhafi's Tripoli regime needs a lesson in how to treat dissidents — hint: no prison time unless they've committed a real crime — as well as a hard turn away from its tribal socialist economic system and power structure that installs revolutionary leaders for life. For the highest councils of government, free elections would be a good idea.
But Libya appears to have gone through — or is going through — a conversion in the way it relates to the rest of the world. As the remains of Saddam Hussein's rule smoldered in 2003, Tripoli rejected terrorism. It also abandoned its programs for producing weapons of mass destruction and took responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, a terrorist act that killed 270 people.
For this repentance, thank President Bush's promise to punish terrorists and their support structures. Gadhafi might not want to be with us, but seeing terrorist regimes in Afghanistan and then Iraq routed by the U.S. and its allies, he quickly decided that he didn't want to be against us.
Are we giving too much credit to the Bush administration? Consider the comments of a Capitol Hill Democrat.
"Libya has thoroughly altered its behavior," said Rep. Tom Lantos, ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee. "In taking these actions, the United States dramatically demonstrates to the remaining rogue states — and particularly to Iran — that our country takes note of positive changes in behavior and is more than willing to reciprocate."
No, Lantos doesn't mention Bush policies by name. He couldn't afford to, not with the media and security-soft Democrats having convinced the nation that the White House has bungled everything related to Iraq.
But from our reading it's clear that Lantos believes that U.S. foreign policy has forced Libya to shun its past and seek a new path of diplomacy that doesn't use terrorism and nuclear arms as leverage.
Even Hans Blix, former United Nations chief weapons inspector and a strong critic of Bush's foreign policy, has held a similar view. Too bad he won't use his influence to try to help Iran and North Korea see the same thing.
Atleast something good has come out of Iraq. I am pleased to see us restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya.