Borger: Is the U.S. now 'just one of the boys'?
Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°," "John King, USA" and "State of the Union."
Washington (CNN) - To recap: The United States and its allies are scrambling to defeat Moammar Gadhafi's forces in Libya. There's a no-fly zone, a freezing of assets, threats about prosecution in international courts and an arms embargo. We're trying to get Gadhafi to surrender - and, hopefully, leave.
And, by the way, the president has secretly ordered the CIA to try to figure out just who the rebels are - and whether they're a dependable enough crew, worthy of our money or our arms. "We haven't ruled out arming the rebels," a senior administration official tells me. "But there are a lot of questions that need to be answered first - including whether they are even trained to use what we might give them."
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No, we're not just one of the boys. However, the days of cowboy diplomacy are over. The U.S. should not be the world police no matter how sophisticated our unique militarty capabilites are. I will like to see us play more of a supporting role in situations like Libya by collecting intel and bombing. As far as troops on the ground go, I'm totally against that. The last thing we need is to put troops on the ground. I'm sure the international community is aware how stretched American forces are. However, if troops have to be put on the ground, the UN should send peacekeepers in.
If it's a secret, who told Gloria? Everyone knows she can't keep it confidential.
How the hell the US led coalition allow the kadhafy regime to push back the rebel that far, while they stood back and watch, lesson since we are in it, we might as well win it, we can't afford time to come back and bite us in the fanny. We got to end this and the sooner the better, if we don't want another Iraq or Afghanistan on her hand. We've got too much advantage to mess this one up, look at the polls, the American people are with this, and you know how short our patience is, lets do this while we still have America's and the world backing, before it's too late.
Why does the media continue to descirbe this military action as a "war"? The promise was made that a troops would go door to door to kill rebels, and it was apparently gong to happen as troops and materiel were moved to the outskrts of the city. THAT is when the military action began.
I would rather see a cowed dictator than another civil war in an OPEC member. How far can he be cowed? Not much. But, if someone wants to go in there, throw him out, and rebuild the naton, be my guest. Pay your own way.
What is the article about anyway? The US cannot be Global Sheriff.
Can everybody please keep quiet and let people who know how to do the job do it. Qaddafi eventually will go. Nothing is so powerful than money. No money, no work done. It is just matter of time this will reach to an end. What we all need is patience!
The US needs to step away from its efforts to dictate to the rest of the planet.
Politics as usual ... does not matter what party.
obama is well on his way to making the US a third world country. Cannot wait for 2012, just hope it is not to late.
And, by the way, the president has secretly ordered the CIA to try to figure out just who the rebels are – and whether they're a dependable enough crew, worthy of our money or our arms.
-------------------------------------------------–
Well, IT USED TO BE A SECRET.
There is nothing wrong with being "one of the boys". There is nothing wrong, considering our financial circumstances, in being "part of a team". There is nothing wrong in letting somebody ELSE lead, put up the big bucks, big guns, and more troops. There is NOTHING wrong with having a President who's built a WILLING coalition of countries that are willing to do that insteasd of asking us, per usual, to pony up with everything.
I like that we're part of a WORLD TEAM, and not the analpores that were shun by the other kids in the playground unless they wanted our ball and lunch money of course.
Thank you, President Obama, for being an intelligent president. You get the facts first before acting. If only the previous president had been intelligent instead of an idiot, you wouldn't have inherited the huge mess that you did and that you've done such a great job so far cleaning up.
The no-fly zone might level the playing field for the rebels, but they've proven that they're really no match for Ghadaffi's forces in combat. This poses a major problem for Obama, who is on record for having stated that "Ghadaffi must go", and thereby setting a defacto metric as to the missions success or failure.
So this leaves few options. One is to arm the rebels... but doing that implies boots-on-the-ground training, which Obama has vowed not to do. Not to mention that doing this would be to arm people who don't really like us a whole lot. Please see Mujahadeen in Afghanistan, circa 1980. Yep, that worked out well.
You really stepped into a steaming pile this time, Obama.
Typo: shunned NOT shun. Pardon me.
LEADERSHIP 101: 1) You are not a good leader if you don't know how to follow. PERIOD. 2) Leadership without relationship (i.e. building a coalition) breeds rebellion. 3) A leader should NOT have to do everything themselves. If you find yourself doing that, then you're doing it wrong. 4) A good leader knows that part of his job is to strengthen and build-up those that he/she is leading. You can't allow those you are leading to grow if you always do everything and don't DELEGATE responsibility to them, so that they have an opportunity to execute. Furthermore, what's wrong with being "just one of the boys?"...Only arrogant, self-righteous and insecure people feel the need to always be ahead, on-top or in-charge of everybody else. Is that what we as a nation have become? God forbid. A great leader is not intimidated by others' ability to lead.