Negating the Threat of Libyan Weapons of Mass Destruction

摘要

The global war on terror illustrates a major change in the way the United States will use its military forces in the future. It is a war against not just governments but individuals with no solid national ties. The American formula for success in past wars will not work in the future, and its ability to recognize the enemy and the threat he poses will be critical to the country's ability to defend its national interests. Two of the biggest threats to peace and stability in the world today are terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). President Bush has made it clear that countries that support terrorism or acquire and use WMD represent the enemies of the United States and her allies. One such nation is Libya. Since coming to power in a coup in 1969, Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi has been on a collision course with American presidents angry over the dictator's support for global terrorism. They also recognized that Qadhafi's quest for nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons posed an unacceptable threat to peace in the Middle East. The United Nations also recognized the Libyan threat and joined the United States in imposing sanctions on the dictator to force his compliance with internationally accepted standards of behavior. The sanctions imposed on Libya, compounded by the end of the Cold War and its loss of support from the former Soviet Union, have caused a steady economic decline in Libya and a period of political isolation from many other countries in the world. Qadhafi has recently signaled a willingness to change his ways and cooperate with his former enemies, especially the United States, in exchange for a revocation of the remaining sanctions against Libya and the resumption of trade with the world's major powers. Libya has much to offer, including a vast oil production base and a strategic location, but the United States must proceed cautiously so as not to inadvertently help Libya further its quest for WMD. (44 refs.).