Although Libya has rid itself of the Moammar Gadhafi regime, it faces an uncertain future endangered by radical Islamist factions, warring militia commanders, tribal rivalries, a lack of democratic traditions, and a civil society ravaged by decades of authoritarian rule. Last week, two militias clashed violently in a turf war… Read more
When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jets to Paris this week for a meeting of the Contact Group on Libya (e.g., France, Britain), no doubt there’ll be plenty of self-congratulations over the end of Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year dictatorship. Despite the distraction of Hurricane Irene from… Read more
Is it just me, or does President Obama seem too disconnected these days? The biggest earthquake on the East Coast in the last 100 years rocked Washington, D.C., last week. The shaking was felt as far north as Martha’s Vineyard, where the President was in the midst of a… Read more
In this week's Heritage in Focus podcast, James Carafano discusses the latest events in Libya. David Weinberger hosts. To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit our RSS feed or subscribe on iTunes. To listen to more Heritage in Focus podcasts, return to… Read more
Nile Gardiner discusses the latest in Libya. … Read more
From The Heritage Foundation, I'm Ernest Istook. There's plenty of celebrating over the… Read more
James Carafano comments on American involvement in Libya. … Read more
It’s tempting to immediately cut off funds for President Obama’s ill-conceived Libya offensive. But it’s not the right course. For the sake of our allies, Congress needs to be patient in using the power of the purse to correct Obama’s misadventure. The policy is indeed a mess.… Read more
"It's an uncomfortable fact that sending a message of solidarity with our NATO allies is more important than sending a message to President Obama." It's tempting to cut off funds immediately for President Obama's ill-conceived Libya offensive.… Read more
This week in Washington looks like the climax of Sergio Leone’s classic Western “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” The president and Congress are on course for a serious shootout over Libya. The good: Odds are, Col. Muammar Qadhafi cannot… Read more
Abstract It may take years before the results of NATO’s military operations against Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s Libyan regime can finally be judged, but the issues raised by the crisis are of immediate importance. … Read more
Despite NATO intervention and advances by opposition forces, the Libyan conflict appears far from resolution. The White House support for rushing referral of Muammar Qadhafi to the International Criminal Court (ICC) has significantly complicated efforts to get Qadhafi to leave the country. The lesson of the… Read more
On March 28, President Obama delivered a speech for the purpose of explaining his decision to use military force in Libya.[1] Although the President gave multiple justifications for the U.S. intervention, it appears more and more that his philosophical basis for ordering the use of force by the… Read more
Two weeks after the start of Muammar Qadhafi’s violent crackdown on his people, the European Union on Monday agreed to a set of sanctions to be applied against Libya. The sanctions include: A ban on 26 individuals, including Qadhafi… Read more
Turmoil is spreading across the Middle East, and the consequences of these dramatic changes will be far-reaching. The United States has considerable interests in the region, but the U.S. government needs to both exercise leadership now and develop a long-term plan for protecting the nation’s interests and supporting the cause… Read more
Delivered on February 13, 2007 With the Six-Party Talks just concluding in Beijing, it certainly is a good time to discuss North Korea. We are fortunate indeed that, as always, the Institute for Corean-American Studies is focusing Washington's attention on a grave matter that… Read more
Barak Obama's “reset” with Russia is looking flimsy in the wake of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s vitriolic reaction to events in Libya last week. Frustration over American interventionism and lost revenues in arms trade and gas projects are behind Mr. Putin’s ire. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union… Read more
What next in Libya? President Obama has yet to outline a clear and certain course. The best option would be to minimize the commitment of the U.S. military, look after the best interests of Libya's civilian population, and limit the spread of terrorism and instability throughout the region. The question… Read more
The Obama Administration, which launched the war in Libya with no clear military plan or exit strategy, now must fashion a suitable and acceptable way forward. The Administration’s short-sighted effort to score a quick and easy military victory over Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s regime failed to end the threat to civilians… Read more
Congress has every right to be angry with the President regarding the situation in Libya. Regardless of any views on the merits of the Libyan intervention, there is no question that from the start President Obama failed to consult Congress in an appropriately deliberate manner. The President has ill-served Congress,… Read more
Libya’s opposition movement is a work in progress. Because it was forged in an ad hoc manner under the pressure of fast-moving events, it lacks sufficient organization, technical expertise, military capabilities, and funding to pose an immediate threat to Muammar Qadhafi’s control of western Libya. While… Read more
Britain’s Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR), released in October 2010, has already led to significant cuts in the size and capabilities of Britain’s armed forces, with more reductions in the years to come. These reductions came on top of those made by the previous Labour government and failed to… Read more
The “Arab Spring” has targeted several regimes in the Middle East: Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak has stepped down, leaving the future of the country uncertain; Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh cling to power; Libya’s Muammar Qadhafi has vowed to fight to the death despite the United States and… Read more
Washington was wrong to focus myopically on the decision to intervene in Libya and establish a “no-fly” zone. Long before operations began, it was abundantly clear that these operations would not be militarily decisive. The current situation on the ground now bears out that fact. A more comprehensive strategy is… Read more
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced that an agreement has been reached by the 28-member NATO alliance to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya. This follows several days of tense negotiations within the alliance, with Turkey and Germany now dropping their opposition to a NATO-led mission. But serious… Read more
[caption id="attachment_88148" align="alignnone" width="550" caption="President Barak Obama leaves 10 Downing street...… Read more
Although Libya has rid itself of the Muammar Qadhafi regime, it faces an uncertain future endangered by radical Islamist...… Read more
Libya’s interim government gradually is taking shape. On Monday the Transitional National Council (TNC) announced that...… Read more
In this week’s Heritage in Focus, foreign policy expert James Carafano fills us in on the latest news throughout the...… Read more
That indigenous forces backed by Western military power could overthrow an odious unpopular regime backed by a...… Read more
Former Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi is dead from wounds he suffered during his capture near his hometown of Sirte,...… Read more
While the Libyan rebels continue their search for deposed dictator Muammar Qadhafi, rumors abound as to where the former...… Read more
When in November 1942 the British Army broke and routed Rommel, and sent him fleeing through Libya, Winston Churchill...… Read more
In last week’s Heritage Libertad Radio program, we covered topics ranging from Libya and the earthquake, to Heritage...… Read more
The search for Muammar Qadhafi has intensified after Libyan rebels seized most of Tripoli. The initial focus was on...… Read more
Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs