The “Chelm” War

Henry Srebrnik, [Summerside, PEI] Journal-Pioneer

In east European folklore, there is a mythical "town of fools" named Chelm, where people do everything backwards.

For example: Townspeople were falling into a large hole in the middle of a busy street and breaking their arms and legs. So what did the city's leaders do? They decided, not to pave over the hole, but to build a hospital beside it!

If this reminds you of the current coalition campaign against Libya, it should. More than one week into Operation Odyssey Dawn, it remains a political and military muddle.

President Barack Obama waited weeks to act, and only went ahead after he received the backing of the Arab League and then the UN Security Council. But the UN resolution that authorizes the current air strikes speaks of protecting civilians and makes no mention of regime change in Libya. NATO is now in control of enforcing a no-fly zone.

Beyond that, confusion. Are the attacks designed to protect civilians or, in reality, to support Moammar Gadhafi's opponents? Can the coalition also supply the rebels with arms? Supporters of the intervention have argued that in order to protect Libya's civilians, regime change is necessary.

After all, Libyan civilians are threatened not just in Benghazi and other rebel-held territory, but also in Tripoli and other parts of the country still under the dictator's control.

According to the White House, the United States is not taking the rebels' side and not using military means to unseat Gadhafi.

So what happens if Gadhafi remains in power, even if only in the western part of the country? "It is U.S. policy that Gadhafi needs to go," Obama has declared many times. Yet Gadhafi seems to be the only person in the country who, we are told, is not being intentionally targeted by the coalition!

Might Libya be partitioned between Gadhafi in Tripoli, and his opponents in Benghazi? Or might it dissolve entirely, becoming another Somalia? Would al-Qaeda take advantage of this confusion?

On the other hand, what happens if Gadhafi is killed, or flees? What exactly will take his place? No one really knows - Libya under the 42-year reign of the dictator had become a giant prison and there is no political structure in the country. Gadhafi has ruled it as an absolute monarch.

It doesn't appear that the UN, the U.S., NATO, and the Arab League are on the same page in terms of the desired outcome of this campaign. It's definitely a "Chelm" war.