Regime Change for Egypt, Reform for Libya?

February 23, 2011

BY: CAPITOL HILL CUBANS

U.S. President Barack Obama was (correctly) unequivocal in rejecting negotiations, reforms or other compromises that would have allowed Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak to remain in power.

So why isn't President Obama being just as unequivocal with Libyan dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, who also happens to be one of the world's most nefarious terrorists?

Please watch the video below. It's extraordinarily moving.

The U.S. should be -- unequivocally -- on the side of Libya's courageous pro-democracy protesters.

Their sacrifice should not be in vein -- least of all, for the sake of some cosmetic economic "reforms."

All of this talk of "reforms" by dictators around the world -- after decades of repression and absolute rule -- has become really boring and insulting to their people's intelligence.

From CNN:

Obama seeking reform in Libya, official says

U.S. authorities were keeping a close watch on Libya's rapidly unfolding political crisis Monday, in part to see what possibilities might exist for meaningful reform, a senior Obama administration official said.

Among other things, Washington was taking a close look at a speech delivered Sunday by Saif al-Islam Gadhafi -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's son -- which included warnings of a civil war if demonstrations in the North African country don't stop.

In the same speech, Saif Gadhafi also acknowledged changing times regionally and proposed "radical" reforms -- like bolstering local governments, relaxing restrictive laws, raising salaries, extending loans, and drafting a constitution, which doesn't now exist.