HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_024601.jpg
1.78 MB
Extraction Summary
2
People
3
Organizations
4
Locations
1
Events
0
Relationships
3
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Article / op-ed draft (house oversight document)
File Size:
1.78 MB
Summary
This document is page 10 of a larger file, bearing a House Oversight Bates stamp. It contains the text of an opinion piece or article discussing the political transition in Libya following Western intervention, comparing it favorably to the situation in Iraq and arguing that intervention was preferable to Gaddafi remaining in power. The author is identified only as a former director of policy planning for the US State Department.
People (2)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Col Gaddafi | Former Leader of Libya |
Mentioned in the context of the argument regarding intervention; the text argues the alternative to intervention was ...
|
| Unnamed Writer | Author |
Identified in the footer as 'a former director of policy planning for the US state department'.
|
Organizations (3)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| National Transitional Council |
Libyan governing body mentioned as having an impressive draft constitutional charter.
|
|
| US State Department |
Mentioned in the author's biographical note.
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Implied by the Bates stamp 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT'.
|
Key Quotes (3)
"Looking forward, it is really not up to the west, much less the US, to plan Libya’s transition."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_024601.jpg
Quote #1
"The National Transitional Council has a draft constitutional charter that is impressive in scope, aspirations and detail"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_024601.jpg
Quote #2
"Libya proves the west can make those choices wisely after all."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_024601.jpg
Quote #3
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (1,398 characters)
10
Looking forward, it is really not up to the west, much less the US, to plan Libya’s transition. It is a relief to see so many articles and statements reflecting lessons learnt from Iraq. But the Libyans are far ahead of where the US was when the initial fighting ended in Iraq. The National Transitional Council has a draft constitutional charter that is impressive in scope, aspirations and detail – including 37 articles on rights, freedoms and governance arrangements.
The sceptics’ response to all this, of course, is that it is too early to tell. In a year, or a decade, Libya could disintegrate into tribal conflict or Islamist insurgency, or split apart or lurch from one strongman to another. But the question for those who opposed the intervention is whether any of those things is worse than Col Gaddafi staying on by increasingly brutal means for many more years. Instability and worse would follow when he died, even had he orchestrated a transition.
The sceptics must now admit that the real choice in Libya was between temporary stability and the illusion of control, or fluidity and the ability to influence events driven by much larger forces. Welcome to the tough choices of foreign policy in the 21st century. Libya proves the west can make those choices wisely after all.
The sceptics’ response to all this, of course, is that it is too early to tell. In a year, or a decade, Libya could disintegrate into tribal conflict or Islamist insurgency, or split apart or lurch from one strongman to another. But the question for those who opposed the intervention is whether any of those things is worse than Col Gaddafi staying on by increasingly brutal means for many more years. Instability and worse would follow when he died, even had he orchestrated a transition.
The sceptics must now admit that the real choice in Libya was between temporary stability and the illusion of control, or fluidity and the ability to influence events driven by much larger forces. Welcome to the tough choices of foreign policy in the 21st century. Libya proves the west can make those choices wisely after all.
The writer is a former director of policy planning for the US state department
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_024601
Discussion 0
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this epstein document