Libya: Land of no good options

I rarely find usable insights on Politico, the political equivalent to the Daily Racing Form. But star writer Glenn Thrush put together a fairly decent piece about why the White House has remained mum on the Libyan crisis thus far. He notes that hundreds of Americans (and other foreigners) are still trying to get out of Tripoli. Since Qadhafi is crazy, rash U.S. action (like no-flight zones or selected airstrikes) might encourage him to take hostages. Gratuitous statements by Obama could adversely move markets already jittery about the supply of oil. A cut-off might spike higher gas prices and imperil economic recovery both here and abroad. Lastly, Libya ain't Egypt. What was a protest movement is now a full-blown civil war divided along tribal Bedouin lines. If/when the Qadhafi falls, there is nothing to replace him. Neither opposition nor governmental entities exist in any coherent form. The military is nakedly corrupt and tribalized. And the rule of law is a joke. Failed states abhor a vacuum. Therefore, anarchy is filling the void, and it will only get worse. As Thrush rightly says, Libya is the "land of no good options." It is in fact a black hole. If we boldly charge in, as some observers want, it becomes our black hole. Tread carefully, Mr. President.