Europe’s Leaders Fear Libya Could Become Next Afghanistan

European nations and the US smoothed relations with Libya and were content to sell weapons to Muammar Gaddafi, who now uses them without restraint against his own people. The West squirms as carnage unfolds. Western officials privately wish for a quick end to the conflict with Gaddafi’s assassination, report Spiegel staff. So far, leaders oppose intervention, even a no-fly zone, worried that a military operation could draw foreign forces – already stretched by fighting in Afghanistan – into a civil war. In the US, the Obama administration ignores criticism from politicians and refuses to act alone, seeking consensus with partners in the region. Europe is divided, too: Germans responded with dismay after French President Nicolas Sarkozy recognized the Libyan National Transitional Council in Benghazi as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. What type of government might replace Gaddafi is unclear. All in Libya are pawns for international powers who claim to want regional stability. – YaleGlobal