Why We're Not So Effective In Libya

During the Egyptian situation, the United States attempted to play a helpful role, and it did so with some success. That wasn't so surprising though. Egypt is an allied nation, who's leaders and military were semi-professional, and worked with us before. Our military talked to their's, and lines of communication allowed us to play a role. We even were a major source of aid for them, so they had to listen.

Now, all hell is breaking loose in Libya. Protestors are in the streets, and the government is dropping bombs on them from fighter jets. Their UN mission is quitting, military officers are defecting, and Gaddafi is talking about being a "martyr." Why are we less effective?

This is what happens when you don't talk to someone you don't like for a couple decades. While the Bush White House, to their credit, ended the silence between the countries, for two many years we just ignored Gaddafi in the hopes he'd go away. He's a lunatic, the situation there could be bad, and their military is seen as violent thugs- and we can't do anything about it, because we don't have the back-channels to talk to.