Associated Press: Mark Smith- 'President Obama: Moammar Gadhafi's Death Opens New Chapter'

Source:Associated Press- Mark Smith, the Associated Press.

"President Obama says Moammar Gadhafi's death heralds a new chapter for Libyans, and shows the world how allies working together can succeed in ending the rule of a tyrant. (Oct. 20)" 

From the Associated Press

The death of former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi does close another chapter in Libyan history. The chapter where Gadhafi can no longer brutalize his country and the chapter before that which was closed in March with Gadhafi being thrown out-of-power by the Libyan rebels. Where Gadhafi could no longer rule his country because he was thrown out-of-power. 

And hopefully this is the start of a new chapter or new day (if you prefer) where the Libyan People can start building their own country and build it the way they want to hopefully a peaceful, responsible democracy with free and open elections, that respects human rights, including minority and women's rights. 

But again Libya is going to have to build Libya and they have the resources to do this. But may need help maximizing their resources and their people: like training their new military, national law enforcement, justice system, writing a national constitution, setting up their general elections. And these are all things that NATO the United Nations, European Union, and the Arab League can help them with. As well as the United States with foreign aide to help them set up their new national government. Until they can get their economy going again and set up their tax system to pay for their new national government. 

But the United States can't do this on their own and shouldn't put troops and other people on the ground. These other organizations need to step up and play a big role here. The NATO mission in Libya as well as the Libyan rebels, is an example of what foreign policy looks like when it works. When the international community especially the West working with the Libyan rebels and the Arab League. 

At risk of sounding partisan: this is what liberal internationalism looks like. Instead of a unilateral neoconservative policy where you try to do everything on their own. Which is what the Bush Administration attempted to do in Iraq in the last decade. That instead when you isolate a dictator with economic sanctions, recognize the opposition party, block the dictatorship from access to resources to brutalize their own people, put the opposition down and to defend themselves, that instead you give a nation, especially it's people the ability to fight for their own freedom, they can do that for themselves.

The West working together with economic sanctions and what happened with the NATO no fly zone over Libya to protect the Libyan rebels from their own government as they do the work risk their own lives to take down the dictatorship. 

Instead of invading a large country like Iraq on your own, taking all of the risks, borrowing all of the money to do it and piling up your own debt, that other Americans are forced to pay back, the death of Moammar Gadhafi is a good day for Libya and closes another ugly chapter in Libyan history. And a big opportunity for the Libyan people to build their own country the way they want to with their own resources and develop their own country the way they want to. And be able to join the rest of the world.