To The Shores Of Tripoli Benghazi: Special "Days Not Weeks" Edition

One senses a certain chill in the feet of the Old Gray Lady as they cover their President's latest foreign adventure and report on Obama's delusional "days, not weeks" timeline for US military involvement:

Obama Warns Libya, but Attacks Go On

Gosh, that headline is a real bunker-buster on my morale. Are they suggesting that Obama is impotent and irrelevant?

It gets worse.  Much worse:

Mr. Obama used tough language that was at times reminiscent of President George W. Bush before the war in Iraq.

OMG - the Times broke out the dreaded Bush comparison?  If they use the word "Cheneyesque" (and on the topic of Gitmo, they just might), you will know the love affair is finally over.

The Times plays Hamlet to Obama's, well, Hamlet.  Can we find criticism of his dithering?  Yes we can:

“If Qaddafi does not comply with the resolution, the international community will impose consequences, and the resolution will be enforced through military action,” Mr. Obama said, laying out a policy decision made after several weeks in which the administration sent conflicting signals about its willingness to use force to aid the rebels at a time of upheaval throughout the Arab world.

And can we find support for the dithering?  Yes we can:

But unlike Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama cast the United States in a supporting, almost reluctant role, reflecting the clear desire of the Pentagon, which has been strongly resistant to another American war in the Middle East.

Ahh, well, we don't want to get involved but what's a superpower to do when both France and the Arab League bat their baby blues?

Say it with me - they told Glenn that if he voted for McCain we would be taken into wars with neither Congressional approval nor public debate.

SENDING A STRONG SIGNAL:  The Times gets inside the decision process and reassures us that Obama is commited to vacillation and weakness.  After explaining that this is Hillary's war, they deliver this jaw-dropper:

On Thursday, during an hour-and-a -half meeting, Mr. Obama signed off on allowing American pilots to join Europeans and Arabs in military strikes against the Libyan government.

The president had a caveat, though. The American involvement in military action in Libya should be limited — no ground troops — and finite. “Days, not weeks,” a senior White House official recalled him saying.

"Days, not weeks"?  Seriously?  Because several folks (Ross Douthat, Jeffrey Goldberg, Clive Crook) have made the seemingly obvious point that if Qadaffi simply accepts a cease fire in place (which is, after all, what the UN requested), that may not result in the fall of his government.  In which case we may be propping up the rebels in Benghazi for years, not days.  Is Obama really not aware of this possibility?  Does he seriously think the US will abandon its role in the no-fly zone after a few days if the situation is unresolved?  Or is he really just too focused on the NCAA upsets to think clearly about this?  This "days, not weeks" timeline is absurd, but it seems utterly consistent with the mindset that brought the headscratching "surge and retreat" announcement on Afghanistan.

I envision a slight recasting of Hillary's Eleven, a star-studded caper film with Hillary Clinton asking Barack Obama "Are you in or out?"  Because it doesn't sound like Barry realizes we can't be in for just a day or two.

LADIES NIGHT OUT:  Is my snark-detector misfiring?  I think the Times is showing less than full respect in this next passage, although I may be guilty of projection:

The change [in Administration policy] became possible, though, only after Mrs. Clinton joined Samantha Power, a senior aide at the National Security Council, and Susan Rice, Mr. Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations, who had been pressing the case for military action to avert a potential humanitarian catastrophe, according to senior administration officials speaking only on condition of anonymity. Ms. Power is a former journalist and human rights advocate; Ms. Rice was an Africa adviser to President Clinton when the United States failed to intervene to stop the Rwanda genocide, which Mr. Clinton has called his biggest regret.

Now, the three women were pushing for American intervention to stop a looming humanitarian catastrophe in Libya.

Well, thank heaven Barry listened to a former journalist and not his defense specialists.  Apparently the boring middle-aged guys wanted to stay home:

In joining Ms. Rice and Ms. Power, Mrs. Clinton made an unusual break with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, who, along with the national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, and the counterterrorism chief, John O. Brennan, had urged caution. Libya was not vital to American national security interests, the men argued, and Mr. Brennan worried that the Libyan rebels remained largely unknown to American officials, and could have ties to Al Qaeda.

No worries - America's role in Libya will be winding down by next weekend and won't distract us from the Final Four, or even the Elite Eight.  Sweet Jiminy.

FROM COLD (BUT INQUIRING) MINDS:  I never liked "chickenhawks" as a slur, but given their slim military credentials will libs be calling Hillary, Samantha and Susan the "chick-hawks"?

 

Comments

[glasater]

For MaryD (hope others will not get impatient with these pictures)--here is one more photo of our valley taken about six years ago from ground level.
It shows how the earth's atmosphere can make a rising moon look so much larger.

Could not go back to that spot to take pictures ever again. I was in a turnout right next to the state penitentiary--not a great plan as I found out. The guards in the tower sent the sheriffs department deputy to give me the scolding of my life:)

[clarice]

It's a picture worth getting arrested for taking.

[glasater]

Heh-thanks Clarice:-) It was pretty dicey for a time.

[Rocco]

Wow...what a beautiful photograph glasater! Although it's not B&W, it reminds me of Ansel Adams.

[sbw]

Moonrise over Hernandez.

[glasater]

Thanks Rocco!! Would you believe our state pen has a view like that?

I think of your comments regarding your work before retirement and it so echos friends of mine who work as guards here. Lots of empathy from these quarters.

I do study Ansel Adams photographs and books. One day maybe I'll be good enough to try some black and white images... :-)

[sbw]

Glasater: maybe I'll be good enough to try some black and white images

Glasater, you show the quality of your appreciation of photography by that statement.

[glasater]

It's just the truth SBW:) There's one Israeli photographer whose work is so impressive and images I study:

Neil Folberg

When I look at images like his--and that link is from some years back--I understood the talent and vision b&w takes.
I promise to stop now.

[sbw]

Thanks for the pointer, glasater.

[MaryD]

glasater, many thanks for the new picture -- I will be sending it to your newfound New Hampshire fan club and I'm sure they'll love it.

[Rocco]

If that were the view looking out from my cell window, I think I'd be a lot more remorseful for losing my freedom.

They say Ansel Adams used every shade of gray between Black and White in every one of his photos. It took me years to figure out how to expose film correctly using aperture and shutter speed, there's no way I could master the Zone System! But you have gift glasater!

[glasater]

Wow MaryD!! You've just made my week and many thanks once again!

Rocco--I don't believe the "residents"--as the euphemism goes here:)--have a view of their surroundings. And per your comment that's too bad they cannot.

I think Ansel Adams used a large format camera. That or medium format which is another ball game compared to 35mm. The lenses he used were so terrific. And he developed the zone system from the clarity the larger negatives those formats provide. And Mr Adams wasn't above manipulating his negatives a whole bunch:) I maintain he would have loved working his photos over on a computer.
When I took pictures with film I did a ton of scanning and repairing of images. So peering into those scans may have helped develop some sort of photographic sense.
Started out by fixing old family photos for people and printing them out to hand down to the grandkids. Now anyone can do that sort of thing with the available software.
As with many things in life an avocation turned into a bit of a vocation. Would sure wish that for everyone.
Thanks again Rocco.

[sbw]

In addition to using an 8x10 camera, he used a lens that would allow him to stop down to smaller than F22, so his detail was extraordinarily fine.

Virtually every photo of his has detail in five zones of shading from white to black. for many years we have had a poster calendar of his were I look closely at, and meditate on, one photo every day for a month and do not tire of it.

Okay. If you haven't guessed. I confess, it's over the toilet.

[MayBee]

glasater- that is a GORGEOUS picture

[glasater]

Awwww Maybee--thanks tons!!! :)

it's over the toilet

Heh sbw--a favorite place for inspiration...

[RichatUF]

glasater-

Thierry Legault has some great work.

[Ann]

Beautiful pictures, glasater. Such talent yet so humble. :) You almost got run over by a bull and arrested by prisoner guards.

I love the stories almost as much as the pictures. :)

[glasater]

What a web site Rich. I'll be lost in that one for days!

Many thanks.

Aren't you just a dear one Ann--I've just been fortunate to survive my "experiences" :)

[caro]

glas, are you still here? I love your photos. I think there is a lot to be said for doing art at a later stage in life when you have had time to ponder the subtleties.

Exquisite work.