Libya did have a UNSC resolution, sure. Kosovo didn't. UN involvement aside, NATO has shown a willingness and a capability to carry out military operations on a

Libya did have a UNSC resolution, sure. Kosovo didn't. UN involvement aside, NATO has shown a willingness and a capability to carry out military operations on another continent (Africa obviously in the case of Libya). The only reason people don't label that as offensive military action is because they've bought into view that the US is a benign hegemony. You may agree that the US is benign. That's not the argument. The argument is that global powers (notably Russia and China let alone anywhere in the Middle East) do not view the US as benign. Now you can say they're wrong but that doesn't matter. Being right or wrong on this is irrelevant. Failing to account for how other people might not view it this way is a big part of what led to this crisis even though it is still 100% Putin's responsibility in starting an unjustifiable war. This isn't an either-or situation. Even though Putin is 100% wrong, the US can also be wrong.