Low Approval Ratings for Libyan Intervention

On March 19, 2011, Qaddafi’s regime attacked the Libyan city of Benghazi where thousands of civilians were in danger of being slaughtered. Libyan rebels defended the city in a bloody confrontation. In response to Qaddafi’s threat to his own people, U.S. military warplanes accompanied by allied nations were sent into Libya to take out Qaddafi’s defenses and disable his forces. This was achieved with no American casualties, no ground troops, and few civilian casualties. 

Although the mission seemed to be a success, a recent survey conducted by the Gallup Poll showed that the percentage of Americans who support U.S. military action in Libya ranks lowest compared to past U.S. military campaigns in four decades. The United States has a history of supporting countries that are undergoing uprisings. After all, Americans are the first to revolt against their own mother country. 

President Obama’s decision to intervene in Libya has resulted in much criticism from Congress and low approval ratings by Americans for U.S. military action has not helped the situation. The media is on top of all of this and there is no shortage of news coverage reflecting the disapproval by various organizations.

The Gallup Poll also showed that the approval rating for the war in Afghanistan ranked highest at 90%. This is because Americans felt a direct impact at home from the September 11^th attacks. Without the threat of imminent danger to our citizens, less people are willing to show support for war. Perhaps some people feel that we do not have a good enough reason to interfere overseas at this time.

The fact is, the United States has already stepped into the situation in Libya and we are not alone in our position on the matter. Diplomatic efforts by the President achieved no resolution and military force was the last resort. Instead of Congress bitterly complaining about how President Obama did not consult with them prior to the attacks, their time would be better spent focusing on where we go from here. Whenever a country is at war, it is critical to have the support of its people.