Sheldon Richman on U.S. Intervention in Libya

All has not been well in Libya since the U.S. military led NATO
forces in an air campaign to overthrow former ruler Muammar
Gaddafi. American officials assured us that “moderates” would
succeed the cruel and unpredictable dictator, who had become a U.S.
ally during the Iraq war. However, it turns out that the moderate
victors were not so moderate; in fact they resembled
al-Qaeda. 

The overthrow of Gaddafi should stand as a lesson in the dangers
of interfering with other countries, writes Sheldon Richman.
Gaddafi was a brutal dictator, of course, and the people would have
been justified in kicking him out. But outsiders can never know
what will follow their intervention. And if the first rule
governments should follow is, “Do no harm,” the second rule is:
Assume that intervention will do far more harm than good.

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