Eerily Prescient On The Libyan Debacle

Astute observers are rightly noting that Hillary had a hand in the 2011 decision to overthrow Libyan strongman Qadaffi and replace him with... well, nothing but chaos.

But is this Monday morning quarterbacking? Is it fair to argue that Hillary could or should have foreseen a Libya divided along tribal lines, a dreadful refugee crisis, and the emergence of terror groups in the failed state?

Well, yes. For a bit of Sunday afternoon quarterbacking, let's excerpt this from March 22 2011, by Adam Garfinkle of The American Interest:

As noted, there is a regional and tribal element to the fight in Libya. It is unlikely that the Benghazi-based rebels could by themselves establish stable control over the whole country. It is almost as unlikely that the Tripolitanian tribes could re-establish firm control over Cyrenaica. Qaddafi managed the feat through a combination of patronage, terror and cooptation. That will be a very hard act to follow in the wake of so much bloodletting. We are therefore looking into the maw of a Libya that may well be divided, in the throes of some kind of protracted, at least low-level civil war, and that could very easily produce an insurgency spilling over the Egyptian and Tunisian borders—complete with refugees, the usual dysfunctional NGO triage operations and all the rest. And in due course, if the fractious mess lasts long enough, there is a reasonable prospect that al-Qaeda will find a way to establish a foothold amid the mayhem.

Who will want to send in peacekeepers to baby-sit a Libya that looks like that? Who’ll want to go to the UN to get the job authorized? The African Union?

Now, given that this sort of problem is foreseeable, and that it was also foreseeable before the cruise missiles started flying on Saturday, it stands to reason that a responsible, serious government will have thought about all this in advance, and come up with some plan for the post-combat “Phase IV” of the Libyan War, right? Not on your life; the President and his war council almost certainly have not even begun to think about this sort of thing, because they’re still in denial that it could happen. This is, after all, just a limited, humanitarian mission as far as they’re concerned. They don’t realize it yet, but these guys are on a path to make even Donny Rumsfeld and Tommy Franks look good—and you thought that was impossible.

Well, yes, that piece hit on refugees, terror groups, and an ongoing civil war in a failed state. And FWIW, I found it sufficiently persuasive to link to it back in the day, and recycle the main themes a few days later. The point being, these arguments were made in real time and ignored by the Administration, including our former Secretary of State.

As to the analogy to Iraq, well, the Colin Powell aphorism was that if you break it, you own it. Why don't Barack and Hillary own Libya? And can the Republicans let go of Benghazi and talk about the much larger failure of judgment involved in displacing Qadaffi with no credible plan to replace him?

The guy who got elected on 'No More Iraqs' gave us a new Iraq (and lost the original one!). With Hillary at his side encouraging our involvement.

Comments

[daddy]

"No tomatoes until the snow is off Shafer Butte."

When I used to hang sheetrock back in summer in High School, the rhyme one of the old toothless painters used to amuse us with in his hard to decipher "Down East" Harker's Island brogue, was this one:

"When the day is hot and sultry 'tis not the time to commit adultery,
But when the frost is on the pumpkin that's the time fer peter dunkin'."

I denounce myself him.

[GUS]

Love you too Eric. You're awesome.

[GUS]

Tame by comparison daddy.

When it gets to hot for comfort and you can't buy ice cream cones, well it ain't no sin, to take off your skin and dance around in your bones.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Just to be clear, as I understand it, clarice said Barry appointed Michael Tomaskey's sister to the Federal Reserve bank, not Barry's sister, right?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

My impression of Carly Fiorina as a senate candidate was that she was surprisingly good.
However she was running in commie CA so what was she gonna do?
Any numb-bat that would consider voting for a pillar of salt like Boxer is unreachable anyway.

[daddy]

I'm surprised Chelsea wasn't brought into the Ukrainian realm.

Narciso,

Chelsea probably didn't need to. The WSJ's reporter, Bret Stephen's, on Megyn's Show said that Chelsea Clinton had been given $70,000 to give a speech on the dangers of childhood diarrhea in the 3rd World. He continued by saying that if you wanted to learn about childhood diarrhea there are better ways than giving 70 Grand to Chelsea, so what exactly were they purchasing with that money?

[Gentlejim]

Daddy,
Wasn't the 70k used to gain insight from Chelsea's decades of study as a pediatrician in sub-Saharan Africa? Oh, wait. What? Never mind.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

A combo of Wickard and Kelo featuring raisins.

[daddy]

Gentlejim,

This is the "expert" they paid $70,000 to, to talk about baby-shit.

[GUS]

Watching James Rosen on Megyn Kelly just now, made my stomach turn. Rosen is a good dude and has been, MORE THAN, SHIT ON, by Ofuktards criminal enterprise, YET, ROSEN STILL.........DOESN'T GET IT. He's been in D.C. too long. Seeing a discussion of whether HARF or (heh heh) rear Admiral KIRBY (KIRBY SUX..heh heh again), should be the WINNER of the STATE DEPT SPOKESMODEL SWEEPSTAKES, is like choosing WHICH EYE YOU'D LIKE POKED OUT. Rosen seems to think that EITHER or BOTH are actually HONEST or QUALIFIED. Both are DIM BULBS at best. Why does this NATION consider CELEBRITY to be equal to competence, talent or ability??
It's like choosing between GOEBBELS or REIFENSTAHL. Both were lying criminals.

[jimmyk]

The person usually thought of Precious's (half) sister is Maya Soetoro. But she lives in Hawaii, I thought, nothing to do with Cleveland. No doubt "father" Barack Obama Sr. has all sorts offspring scattered around the planet. Then there's the possibility of Frank Marshall Davis's offspring.

[daddy]

Iggy,

Very fun link at 12:32! Thanks for that.

[GUS]

Jimmyk, Obama has "issues". HOOSIER DADDY!!
And bizarre Commie Mommie issues. Doesn't take SIGMUND FREUD to see the obvious. Who knows whether Barack HUSSEIN O'SCOTCHandWATER Sr. was the SPERM DONOR, or not. We DO know that Barry Senior had NOTHING to do with Opie's LIFE. NOTHING. BARACK "JACK DANIELS" OBAMA SR....had NOTHING to do with The FRAUD in CHIEF'S make up and upbringing. WE KNOW THIS, without regard to BIRTHERISM. Who did????

[GUS]

Daddy, the PEAR, doesn't fall far from the LEATHER tree.

CANKLES JR.

[gentlejim]

I'm fairly certain her expertise in childhood diarrhea prevention wouldn't fill the head of a pin. I'm also fairly certain that the photo Daddy posted should have a trigger warning as to not induce diarrhea in adults.

The raisin link was funny in the sense that the court appears to know the govt's stance is insane. Sadly, the govt thinks what they are doing is ok. "We're from the government. We're here to help."

[daddy]

GUS,

Saw your James Rosen rant above. When I watched it I was wondering who Rosen was trying to score points with. His statements came across to me as something for public consumption, and definitely not from the heart. Perhaps he just wanted to diminish Chris Matthews, while at the same time doing a little brown-nosing with Harf's new boss. Maybe I'm misreading him, but I think if I was his bartender I'd be hearing a different take.

[daddy]

From WattsUpWithThat:

Failed EarthDay Predictions (made on the first EarthDay)

My favorite: “The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age.”
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

[daddy]

Clippers/San Antonio Game is terrific.

Tied at 101, half way thru the 1st overtime.

[GUS]

Daddy, I wrote another rant, but it went into HYPER space.
Harf and Rear Admiral Asslicker ARE CLOWNS.
We are dealing with clowns.
At some point after MILLIONS OF DEATHS, the WORLD will ask, WHY. Why did we let this happen.

HERR OBAMA, WHY??

[Threadkiller]

I missed it altogether but if you are saying Magpie Kelly had a turncoat asskisser on, I can find no reason to dispute it.

She will be pitching doormats and coffee cups to her several viewers by summer if this keeps up.

[Threadkiller]

Goodnight.

[GUS]

TK. You've become so harsh!!

[GUS]

Serious Intellectual question for JOM'ERS'
WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU SUPPORT the GOP approving LORETTA LYNCH??? SERIOUSLY???
Why?? NO BALLS??? WEAK BACK??? Nothing personal against LORETTA LYNCH and her PISSING ON THE CONSTITUTION....BUT....
WHAT FUCKING REASON, WOULD YOU, AS A GOP'ER, A JOM'ER or any semblance of an AMERICAN and or CONSERVATIVE, why would you GIVE OUR VOTE and APPROVE someone WHO SHITS on the CONSTITUTION???? GUILT?? RACE??? RETARDATION??? WEAKNESS?? STUPIDITY??

Folks, U.S. SENATORS, LYNCH et al HATE YOU, HATE ME and are quite happy to SCREW US.
WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOUR AMERICA????

[gentlejim]

GUS,

Quick answer in regards to Lynch, no reason whatsoever.

As far as your second question, the shorter answer would be to "what isn't wrong with our America?". I'm afraid of what our country is becoming.

[daddy]

This comment is incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial, your Honor! But hopefully it's fun:)

Tonights episode of Perry Mason was "The Case of the Blonde Bonanza." (Dec 1964)

The "Blonde Bonanza" was a damsel in distress named Mary Ann Mobley, a very cute former Miss America:
Hubba, Hubba! (Her hair was dyed blonde)

Now before Perry is able to exonerate Miss America by dumbfounding Hamilton Burger and getting the real killer to spill his guts on the witness stand

Perry has to deal with a nasty young punk who gave every indication he might have been the murderer. Here's that young punk:

Now put on your Perry Mason hats, look hard at the 1964 young punk, and see if you can guess where you've seen him today?

If you're thirsty for the answer, it's here.

[peter]

that is so cool, daddy

[Jane on Ipad]

Wow, they are coming to blows on MSNBC with Howard Dean desperate to protect Hillary from the latest - which I believe is in the NY Times, and nearly everyone else who are accusing Dean of protecting the Clinton's. It's hysterical.

[henry]

While it is good that the John Doe abuse is getting national coverage, it is not clear that it has any staying power.

1. It is already at the SC level, both state and federal. The state SC didn't have oral arguments, instead going with sealed briefs. A ruling there is a month or so away. I'm not sure the fed SC will actually look at it, or whether a Kennedy would open the immunity can of worms if they did.

2. Walker is clean, not even any leaks saying otherwise. So the MSM is on ignore. His emails were already dumped (the County Exec ones) last summer and all they got was the "Molotov" typo.

3. Austin is just as bad, but Perry is clean as well. The MSM doesn't want to let the deranged fascist label get attached to the left (themselves) so that connection will not be made.

Until the entire staff at the Milwaukee DA's office is perp walked and sued into the cardboard box lifestyle, there is no dramatic image to show on TV. That action requires the SC to strip immunity by overruling the en banc 7th Circuit. I don't like the odds on them doing anything that reeks of justice when they can call it a tax or something. Then again the raisin theft may be a tipping point.

[DebinNC]

I can't remember ever reading about a LE raid/arrest where the subjects were ordered not to tell anyone about it. That seems absurd, especially in this Obamaphone age.

[henry]

Deb, it does seem more like Evita's Argentina than the U.S.

[Captain Hate]

I hope they have a clip of Yeaaarrrgh at Tepid Gas or Newsbusters; the guy is so mentally unstable and usually has that morning glassy sheen to his skin of somebody who drinks way too much, that it shouldn't be difficult for him to me yammering like an out of control idiot.

[Captain Hate]

him to Be yammering...

[Captain Hate]

And whoever told the First Perpetual Child that she looks good in those leather pants is pulling a major scam on her. If Rodham had any level of judgement she'd have let her know but she was probably three sheets to the wind.

[DebinNC]

Conservative "war rooms" already hard at work plotting to defeat HC? Good, unless that paves the way for someone worse, like Warren.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/04/22/264072/step-into-war-rooms-planning-hillary.html

[Captain Hate]

Once you get beyond the headline, which is classic McRINO pandering for camera time, he actually gives some praise to some unlikely recipients thanks to Cavuto's line of questions. "Support" from My Friends is always a double edged sword, though, and he doesn't pass up an opportunity to throw in compliments for Rodham:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/23/family-feud-mccain-calls-paul-worst-possible-candidate-on-national-security/?intcmp=latestnews

[Janet]

Has McCain figured out what allahu akbar means yet?

[clarice]

Right, Ig.

And now for Wisconsin:http://www.wsj.com/articles/wisconsin-goes-to-the-supremes-1429744522

[Janet]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/no-john-allah-akbar-does-not-mean-thank-god-and-it-matters/

[sbw]

Has anyone yet looked at the ROTC walking a mile in red high heeled shoes from the point of view that, not post-modernist invisible bias, but individual women decide for themselves to put on red high heels?

[Miss Marple]

Good morning, all!

sbw, that was the point I was not able to make yesterday. By no stretch of the imagination are women forced to wear high heels.

If they had been sincere about wanting the cadets to understand women (which they were not) they could have had discussion groups.

It was all about humiliating a bunch of ROTC guys. Pure and simple.

[Miss Marple]

Well, well, well.

Look what popped up in my twitter feed:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/23/us-usa-election-clinton-taxes-exclusive-idUSKBN0NE0CA20150423

"Hillary Clinton's family's charities are refiling at least five annual tax returns after a Reuters review found errors in how they reported donations from governments, and said they may audit other Clinton Foundation returns in case of other errors."

[NKvirusedandback]

Daddy-- many thanks for the Earth Day 'predictions' from 1970. I remember Earth Day I very well. Massive indoctrination in the William H Carr Junior HS where I was a 7th Grader. We were marched around the block by union teachers in silent protest of the 'Silent Spring' (you think this serf thing is recent?). Of course for me the most important thing that day was Tom Terrific Seaver striking out 19 Padres that afternoon at Shea. The weather in NYC that day? 63F sunny. The NYC weather on Earth Day #46 yesterday? about 63F cloudy, then the storms moved through and it's cold now.

[NKvirusedandback]

PS Daddy-- Don't ever EVAH re-post that Chelsea monstrosity. God man, what were you thinking?

[henry]

Well, now we know who the reporter at the raid was. DAs to Stein to Marley. Big raid in Madison including SWAT and FBI, send a political reporter! The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal was in cahoots with the DAs from the beginning.

[maryrose]

It is amazing that a presidential candidate would actually say as Hillary did that we need to topple the one percent
According to Steve For Ed there is only one Rockefeller left so all the other billionaires are self made
When did ingenuity and tenacity and the desire to succeed in life become a negative
She cheated stole and lied her way to becoming rich
Class envy is non productive and stupid
You get out of life what you put into it

[maryrose]

Should be Forbes

[Extraneus]

His staff is working up a brief on that, Janet.

[Marlene]

Last night on Special Report,Bret Baier showed a clip from Bloomberg's "With all Due Respect" show. John Heileman asked Hillary's NH co-chair,Bill Shaheen (Sen. Shaheen's husband) a question about Hillary's position on the Keystone pipeline. Shaheen had a classic deer in the headlights moment,not able to answer. Shaheen was Hillary's co-chair in 2008,until he resigned after suggesting Obama used and dealt drugs.
Am I the only person who has a spidey sense that Hillary is going to implode?

[Miss Marple]

Marlene, that re-filing of tax returns thing is also a sign, so I agree with you.

[sbw]

After Hillary implodes, what detritus gets sucked into the vacuum. Certainly some battlefield prep is called for.

[Miss Marple]

Hillary's campaign will drag on as long as possible for the following reasons:

1. As a candidate, it will be harder for anyone to prosecute her.

2. As long as she is running, they can scoop up donations which would normally go to others.

3. As long as it looks like she might be president, Bill can score with power-hungry babes.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

No Marlene, I refuse to give in to the nonsense that Rodham is inevitable or that she's anything but a ticking time bomb.

[Janet]

After Hillary implodes

Well...I got an email from Jim Webb today

a bit -

In coming weeks I will be traveling to early battleground states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. With your financial support we can stay on the road showing voters what we all know – it is time for strong leadership that proceeds from clearly stated, unwavering principles.

Please visit www.Webb2016.com to learn more about me, follow the campaign, and to show your financial support.

Your help now will be deeply appreciated and never forgotten.

Please pass this email along to your friends.

With thanks,

Jim Webb

Do ya figure he had my email address from me writing him when he was Senator?...or maybe one of my neighbors passed it along from the listserv list?

[Miss Marple]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html?module=Notification&version=BreakingNews&region=FixedTop&action=Click&contentCollection=BreakingNews&contentID=32902865&pgtype=Homepage&_r=2&assetType=nyt_now

I believe there were questions about this at the time, but the usual press uninterest in criticizing dems let it pass.

This might have been posted up thread and I missed it. If so, sorry for the duplication.

[Jack is Back!]

Henry's 8:39 reminds me that the Nazi's had a term for that: Gleichschaltung.

It means "coordination" or being "in line" and was their main news management concept along with the total Goebbels propaganda machine.

[narciso]

so this Russian reset chapter, punished the wiley Canadian menace, and likely a source for Iran's nuclear program,

the Koecher's from last night's thread, were a swinging Czech couple, who managed to cadge some secrets out of their networking friends,

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Janet you should send him a hard copy of some of the comments we've made about Webb's massive dome and its gravitational field as an in kind contribution. That should get you off the list and maybe get you put on another.

[narciso]

Madame Kaching was so prescient, clarice

http://www.jammiewf.com/2015/amazing-coincidence-multiple-clinton-charity-donors-got-state-department-awards-under-hillary/

[narciso]

yes, that Rosen bit was ridiculous last night, cinnabon girl was even more clueless in light of the Spiegel report, which unlike the Assange/Snowden collaboration, has not widely spread,

[Miss Marple]

Well, one thing about Webb: I do not think he would cut the military and some of the PC stuff we are seeing would probably be shut down.

My overarching interest is national security, and I shudder at the Clintons getting anywhere near the reins of power again.

[Janet]

THe left are kings at giving "prestigious" awards to their minions ....who are later described in "news" articles as having won many "prestigious" awards.

[Janet]

Well, one thing about Webb: I do not think he would cut the military and some of the PC stuff we are seeing would probably be shut down.

His blathering might give you that impression...but what he will actually DO is another thing.

Webb was a consistent voter for the radical leftist agenda.

[narciso]

On Iraq, remember that disgraceful performance he did with W, on Gitmo, on Obamacare he hummed the left's tune, until it didn't matter anymore,

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Hearing friends like Miss Marple consider a mentally ill doofus like Pumpkinhead Webb even remotely acceptable bothers me more than talk of Rodham's inevitability.

[Miss Marple]

Well, I didn't say he was acceptable, Captain. I just said he was better than Hillary.

That's sort of like saying flu is better than pneumonia.

Janet, didn't pay attention to his voting record, so will bow to your judgement.

I just am worried that the military and national security are going to be damaged to the point of no return, and that is a terrible situation for my grandkids to enter adult life with.

[narciso]

one of the reasons, I despise the Trumpster is because he bought into 'Bush lied us into war'
garbage, then he slobbered all over Obama, like
a discontinent St. Bernard,

[Jeff Dobbs]

OK, don't see TM - I'll put up a quickie on the Clinton stories.

Hopefully he'll come along right behind me and stomp all over my post with something more detailed.

[narciso]

for similar reasons, like Morbo, Larry Sabato gives me gas, after the disgraceful behavior in the Allen race,

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

I apologize for the erroneous paraphrase, Miss Marple, and applaud the Pumpkin flu diagnosis.

[Beasts of England]

So should I keep my Cankles screed on ice for the new thread? :)

[clarice]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/24/us/cash-flowed-to-clinton-foundation-as-russians-pressed-for-control-of-uranium-company.html

Looking less inevitable every day.

[Janet]

henry's 8:39 reminds me of an old story (2005) of a WaPo reporter working with Dem. political activists in Maryland to help defeat Rep. Gov. Bob Ehrlich.

Mathew Mosk - got access to a Free Republic account under MD4Bush name (a Democrat). He worked with the Dems. for his story.

[NKvirusedandback]

Henry/Janet-- the Dems and Legacy Media are teammates, for the same evil cuase.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Shoot daddy, that guy used to be in all sorts of TV shows in the sixties and seventies. I never connected him with the most interesting dude in the world.

[Jack is Back!]

Looks like The Champ hasn't lost his "merde touch". Upcoming presser to explain how two innocent hostages were killed in an anti-terror raid that killed that Andan kid from California.

I can't wait to hear how he read about this in the papers.

Supposedly it all went down in January and now are hering about it.

[Janet]

"Mr. Steffen’s e-mail exchanges with MD4Bush were published in The Washington Post in February 2005. It caused a political uproar that spawned an investigation of the Ehrlich administration — the General Assembly’s first of someone outside the legislature in more than 25 years.

MD4Bush later was shown to be associated with an e-mail address of Ryan O’Doherty at the Maryland Democratic Party. Mr. O’Doherty, who has ties to Mr. O’Malley, worked as the party’s communications director at the time."

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/jul/26/20060726-113200-3592r/#ixzz3Y8nsFdBK

On a private forum...an O'Malley worker - with the name MD4Bush - starts spreading tacky rumors about O'Malley. Then an Ehrlich worker says he has heard that rumor too...& the WaPo comes out with a story about the Ehrlich worker spreading vicious rumors!

Matthew Mosk reported the story...obviously obtained from the Dem. trap setters.

[Threadkiller]

Cinnabon girl?

What was the slobbering Trump did?

[Janet]

"The Post asserts that it obtained the password to enter this private area from "an intermediary who was acting on behalf of MD4BUSH." But at the same time, the Post claims it does not know who MD4BUSH is, much less that he may have been at that time the Communications Director of the Maryland Democrat Party.How could the Post claim it had valid permission, without knowing who was granting that permission?" -

See more at: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/john-armor/2005/11/05/washpost-traps-itself-lie-about-md4bush#sthash.W2p9DJkV.dpuf