Philip H Gordon, US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, has just delivered a speech in Berlin outlining “the state of transatlantic relations”. His remarks, given at the Korber Foundation on January 11, are a scene-setter for the Obama administration’s European policy in “its final year in office before elections this November.” Like most pronouncements on Europe coming from the Obama presidency, it is fixated on Washington’s dealings with the European Union, as well as with Hillary Clinton’s “reset” of relations with Moscow. This is hardly surprising coming from a …
Although Libya has rid itself of the Muammar Qadhafi 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 in Tripoli, the Libyan capital. Catherine Herridge, the chief intelligence correspondent for Fox News, noted the rise of Libyan Islamists in an article earlier last week. She cited a recent report by Kronos, LLC, that assessed the prominent role in …
Libya’s interim government gradually is taking shape. On Monday the Transitional National Council (TNC) announced that it had elected a new Prime Minister, Abdurraheem el-Keib, who will serve until elections in June for a national assembly that will write a new constitution. El-Keib, a dual Libyan-American citizen, is a U.S.-educated engineering professor who taught for many years at the University of Alabama before joining the TNC earlier this year. El-Keib is a technocrat who emerged as a choice acceptable to both Islamists and secular factions and is the scion of …
In this week’s Heritage in Focus, foreign policy expert James Carafano fills us in on the latest news throughout the Middle East. Click here to listen. Now that Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi is gone, what’s next? President Obama has announced the withdrawal of all troops from Iraq by the end of the year. What does the future hold there? Will any troops remain? How does this affect other countries in the region? Listen to answers to these questions and more! To get regular updates on Heritage in Focus podcasts, visit …
That indigenous forces backed by Western military power could overthrow an odious unpopular regime backed by a second-rate military ought to come as no surprise. That was, after all, exactly what the Bush Administration did in Afghanistan. In fact, operationally, the fall of Kabul looks a lot like the fall of Tripoli. As we now know, toppling the Taliban was not the last chapter in U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, nor was it a precedent for the “future way of war” (in and out with a minimal footprint) as it was …
Libya and Yemen until recently were led by the longest-ruling dictators in the Arab world. Muammar Qadhafi’s death marks the official end of his 42-year rule in Libya. While the overthrow of his regime enables Libya to embark on the challenging path to democratic governance, Yemen’s president, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, can’t take a hint. Libya. According to the Transitional National Council (TNC), which now controls Libya, an inclusive transitional government will be formed when all of Libya is liberated. With Qadhafi’s death and the civil war winding down, that …
Former Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi is dead from wounds he suffered during his capture near his hometown of Sirte, according to Reuters reports. If the news turns out to be true, it would be great news for the people of Libya who have long suffered under Qadhafi’s tyrannical rule and who have waged a months-long civil war to end the decades-old dictatorship. However, just as the death of Saddam Hussein did not mark the end of hostilities in Iraq and the death of Osama bin Laden did not spell the …
While the Libyan rebels continue their search for deposed dictator Muammar Qadhafi, rumors abound as to where the former despot could be hiding. Some believe he fled to Niger, others suspect that Zimbabwe or Burkina Faso have granted him asylum, and some are certain he’s still in Libya. As Qadhafi’s family and closest allies seek refuge in Algeria and Niger, it has become apparent that Qadhafi’s neighbors could be his saviors. When Qadhafi issued a brutal crackdown on opposition forces last spring, African leaders called for an end to the …
When in November 1942 the British Army broke and routed Rommel, and sent him fleeing through Libya, Winston Churchill recognized that it was not the end of the war. But it was, he said, the end of the beginning. We are at the same place in Libya today – not at the end, merely at the end of the beginning. If Libya comes to be dominated by Islamists, or falls into chaos, the destruction of Gaddafi’s tyranny will evoke less satisfaction. But as Churchill said in another connection, the chains …
In last week’s Heritage Libertad Radio program, we covered topics ranging from Libya and the earthquake, to Heritage member questions. For the Spanish segment, click here. For the English segment, click here. You’ll hear Heritage’s position on Libya moving forward and hear answers to questions such as: is the War Powers Act unconstitutional? How much are we spending on defense? Is there a Social Security Trust Fund, and where does that money go? The Spanish segment also includes an interview with Fidelia Friedman, vice president of Pocono Republican Hispanic Association. …
