Word to the wise

Time's Joe Klein walked back his "casual" advocacy for a no-fly zone over Libya. Though the time may come when a NFZ is appropriate, the "decision deserves a lot more informed consideration than I gave it," he wrote today. Moreover, Klein is concerned that American decisionmakers, having little real knowledge of the cultural dynamics inside Libya, is stumbling in the dark. He isn't necessarily wrong. History has shown repeatedly that we have a propensity to invade first and ask questions later (see Iraq 2003). Klein notes that "a long-term civil war, caused by shifting tribal alliances, is not out of the question. We know Qaddafi is a murderous, brutal lunatic. We don't know much about his opponents, who could turn out to be every bit as thuggish and a lot more religious." The lesson going forward: Tread carefully.