<Do you think it would be appropriate to use military force to evacuate our citizens from Libya?>
I am a christian pacifist, and therefore reject all war, even in self-defense.
I do, however, approve of law enforcement. That includes international law. There is a growing list of rules that all civilized nations agree to. I can't think of any ruler who has violated more of them than Gadafi. Just to give one example, shooting down civilian airliners is something Americans, Chinese, Russians, Indians, and Europeans can all agree on. It's a crime, and the criminals (those who gave the orders, not just those who carried it out) should be brought to justice.
So, I'd support the use of armed force, not just to evacuate our citizens, but to enforce a no-fly zone, sink any warships loyal to Gadafi, and actively support the anti-Gadafi forces, the same way we supported the anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan in 2001. This should be done, not to promote narrow American interests, but to enforce international law (which, in the long run, is in our national interests). |
