Silence is golden, for now

Impatient interventionists, mostly on the right, are ratcheting up their handwringing over President Obama’s “deafening silence” on Libya. Alas, the struggle to “see what is in front of one’s nose” is especially true of armchair generalissimos opining from the cheap seats. William Kristol's op-ed is a classic example.

Here’s the reality on the ground: Roughly 5,000 U.S. citizens – men, women and children – live in Libya, according to the State Department. There are also 35 U.S. diplomats and their families residing there. Anarchy has closed Libyan airspace, so we’re evacuating our people via a sea ferry to Malta. The process takes time. Do those facts put Obama’s silence into proper perspective? It should.

Qadhafi is a full burger short of a Happy Meal. He may even be strung out on drugs as some reporting suggests. Mix in his martyr complex and penchant for brutally lashing out at foreign “infidels” and we have a recipe for a calamity that could easily degenerate into hostage taking or worst. At this stage, then, saber-rattling or airstrikes would only place American expats at greater risk. Yes, at some point, we may have to send the Marines back to the shores of Tripoli to fetch them. But we’re not there yet.

An “anonymous” senior U.S. official told the Washington Post, "There's a sequence here. The first step is to get American citizens out of harm's way. The second step is to fully document the human rights violations that are occurring. And the third step will be to take appropriate action under our laws." Trust me, folks, this is a deliberate leak from the White House. It’s the outline of Obama’s game plan. Acts I and II are quietly underway now. When the way is clear, don’t be surprised if Act III involves military muscle.