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It was Obama's intervention. NATO was left holding the bag.

• wahern 7y ago
  As I remember it, it was France who pushed for intervention. Italy was originally opposed but relented once they recognized that France's persuasion of the U.S. and U.K. made it inevitable. (Context: France and Italy rival for influence in North Africa.) Maybe you mean to suggest that it was Hillary Clinton who pushed the U.S. to intervene. She may have been much easier to persuade, and [according to Wikipedia] it was only after a tour of Europe that she lobbied within the Obama administration for intervention (and subsequently greater intervention), but unlike many other interventions the U.S. was not banging the drums. That doesn't absolve the U.S. or NATO of responsibility, but it's worth understanding. Some quick quotes from the U.K. Parliament investigation at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmfaff/119/119.pdf https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmfa... * "In March 2011, the United Kingdom and France, with the support of the United States, led the international community to support an intervention in Libya to protect civilians from attacks by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi." Summary, p3. * "We were told that the political momentum to propose Resolution 1973 began in France." Page 10/Paragraph 18 * "France led the international community in advancing the case for military intervention in Libya in February and March 2011. UK policy followed decisions taken in France." Page 11/Paragraph 23. Bolded in original