Rushing Decision for Military Intervention in Libya Would be a Mistake

Newswise — “As militias loyal to Moammar Gaddafi have been ordered to fire on Libyan citizens, the Obama Administration is increasingly under pressure from both sides of the political aisle to ‘do something.’ The Obama administration has already imposed economic sanctions, but calls for a no-fly zone and even more direct military intervention are becoming more vociferous.

“Is a larger intervention feasible given U.S. commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan? To what degree is the U.S. willing to reinforce military efforts if the intervention spirals out of control? What scale of force — and for what duration — would the American public support?

“There is a whole host of issues that need to be considered before the U.S. uses force. I would be concerned that events on the ground and political momentum might sidestep this deliberative process and the caution that should attend the use of military force.”

--Sarah Kreps, assistant professor of government at Cornell University and author of “Coalitions of Convenience: United States Military Interventions after the Cold War” (Oxford University Press, 2011).