Bernard-Henri Levy Calls for Bombing Qadhaffi Strongholds

Bernard-Henri Levy, a popular French writer-philosopher, has been in Benghazi this weekend.

BHL, as he is affectionately called by the French who love his modern approach to writing about serious topics and have almost made him a rock star because of his handsome appearance, is from the left of French thought and so one would expect him to support the freedom fighters. He did.

But, what was far more interesting is that he also called for military intervention to eliminate Qadhaffi.

BHL stood in the desert near Benghazi on Saturday and called for the West to target bomb two of Qadhaffi’s air fields, one in the south and one between Tripoli and Benghazi, and to bomb Qadhaffi’s compound in Tripoli.

This is significant, coming from a widely respected leftist French philosopher who detests war and the Americans who wage it too often. But, it must be said that Bernard-Henri Levy is a serious critic of French and western thought, and he is also well-known in the Arab world. Add to this the fact that to the French “Free Libya” rings loud, because de Gaulle’s resistance against Hitler and the Nazis was Free France. BHL must be sensitive to this similarity.

BHL’s three points were : (1) Free Libya is holding on in the east near Benghazi but is vastly out-powered by Qadhaffi’s military forces, (2) Qadhaffi is weaker than we think and is holding on because of a comparatively small group of mercenaries who will do anything he asks, and (3) bombing Qadhaffi critical points would topple the regime quickly.

Now, it must also be said that BHL is certainly not the world’s foremost authority on military tactics and warfare, but his point is well-taken.

Had the West struck a week ago, many lives would have been saved, and the civil war now gaining speed would not have developed. If the West strikes soon, in the next several days, a massacre and prolonged misery may still be averted.

Yet, there are few signs that anyone in the West is ready to step up to the job. America, France and Britain seem to be turning round in a three-way dance of indecision. If they actually met, perhaps their resolve would be stronger. One thing is certain, Qadhaffi’s resolve is as strong as ever, and the people of Tripoli are paying a heavy price in being held captive by him. Free Libya, in Benghazi and the east, is holding its ground for now, but how long can it survive the continued aerial bombings and gun ship fire?

It would be the first international tragedy of the 21^st century, if we allow Qadhaffi to defeat the entire world simply because no one has the moral force to take the necessary step to rid the world of this petty despot.

The West should take Lincoln’s advice, "Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm."