Libya: Hillary Also "Likes to Watch"

As you already learned when failing to answer correctly Question No. 5 of the patented JG Caesarea Middle East IQ Intelligence Test (http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.com/2011/02/jg-caesarea-middle-east-iq-test.html), Obama's foreign policy is guided by his passion for sitting on the sidelines and contemplating events as they roll past him. In a nutshell, Obama "likes to watch." Yesterday a senior administration official acknowledged that the U.S. president had excused his own inertia with respect to the crisis in Libya by claiming "the best revolutions are completely organic" (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/world/middleeast/08policy.html?hp).

Now we learn that Hillary shares Obama's passion: She also "likes to watch". On Tuesday, she declared that any no-fly zone over Libya must be internationally backed and not a U.S.-led effort, i.e. the U.S. is unwilling to assume a leadership role. Moreover, when asked about the possibility of lifting the arms embargo on Libya and providing support to the rebels, she responded:

"Everything is being looked at. It is difficult in the midst of this civil conflict that's going on now to even know how you would do that, because right now it's not clear what part of the country is actually under rebel control."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110309/pl_nm/us_libya_clinton

Let's dissect this pearl of wisdom from the U.S. Secretary of State:

"Everything is being looked at."
What could be more reassuring coming from an administration that is famous for doing . . . nothing. But why should we be surprised? Remember Obama's response to the oil spill in the Gulf and his failure to extricate the U.S. from Afghanistan.

"It is difficult in the midst of this civil conflict that's going on now to even know how you would do that".
Excuse me, Hillary, but what the heck are you saying here? It is difficult to know how you would do what? Find the rebels and provide them with aid? Yeah, this is "Mission Impossible", and these are indeed reassuring words of wisdom from America's most senior diplomat.

"[I]t's not clear what part of the country is actually under rebel control."
Of course it's not clear when you're watching from afar and the rebels are getting their noses bloodied and losing ground to Qaddafi's armor and aircraft.

Not to worry, one of these weeks or months Obama and Hillary will get it together and formulate a response, or, more likely, a non-reponse.

Meanwhile, in furtherance of the Obama administration's policy of watching and waiting, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell tells us that the Pentagon is "preparing a list of military options regarding Libya, and that [Defense Secretary Gates] would outline the risks of taking action as part of those discussions" (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gates-libya-20110310,0,5816685.story). Maybe Morell can tell us whether he expects the insurrection in Libya to have ended by the time the list is ready.