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FNC military analyst and War Stories Host Col. Oliver North speaks out on Libya, the country’s future and his own personal experience with Qaddafi.
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Yeah look at Libya from the military standpoint so what do you make of this so we we were.
We had no troops involved with Egypt we had no troops involved with Tunisia.
But we certainly were involved backing up NATO.
First of all -- reaction this as a military officer the role of the united states military being kind of supplies sergeant if you will to -- Effort.
Well this is part of leading from behind is the Obama administration clearly wants to do.
There's no doubt this took a lot longer than it otherwise should have or would have the outcome is still uncertain in terms of what's going to happen there because no US boots on the ground.
And unfortunately we don't know at this point -- some stockpiles of chemical weapons munitions surface to air missiles.
And and whether some of these.
Nerve agents that they were manufacturing for which were stockpiles of precursor chemicals where they've gone and it and so.
You couple that with the fact that those are the kinds of things our special operations troops are so very good at identifying.
And securing you look at the that is incredible chaos that's it -- ever since.
Qaddafi is palace fell on the 22.
And you look at what's happening throughout the rest of of the country got to say.
Chaos is raining.
There's reprisals taking place every day.
And the outcome was far from certain that the people -- -- of Libya are gonna enjoy what mr.
Obama calls a rapid transfer or transition to democracy.
Yeah -- less sanguine about the outcome here than perhaps some others I'm sure glad -- that this -- gone because Qaddafi.
Actually tried to take up my family back in 1987 so.
I'm glad he's off the picture.
But the remnants of his regime are still there and we've got serious problems -- that transition to democracy.
I'm glad you brought that up because that's -- thing that we get this call we still get it colonel north on our on our radio show -- people calling in saying well you know.
Colonel north testified about the fact that it was Saddam Hussein of what Saddam Hussein it was Moammar Qaddafi who was threatening you or your family.
In fact they sent during his goons from the people's committee for Libyan students.
With that assassination ordered her to our home the FBI frankly alerted us naval intelligence service protected us got us out of town moved -- back in.
Live was a total of 35 federal agents.
For months because of that threat.
The the reality of it is this that was a brutal -- not only to his own people but killed more Americans.
Than any other terrorists organization in the world up until bin Laden.
Head of people kind of forget that today because the course He made this transition after Saddam Hussein was.
Was dragged out -- -- rabbit hole He realized He might go the same way started a cozy up to the west promise to get rid of all of his weapons of mass destruction.
Promised to turn over funds as well as those perpetrators from -- -- -- three.
And of course that's one of the people that we ought to be looking from the ground today in Libya.
It is where is the guy that was turned -- by the Scott's.
After the trial and serve some time in Scotland sent back to hero's welcome by Qaddafi.
Down McGraw me I get -- agree with you but listen.
The way you described this it and the question that a lot of us have about our military role what did we do how involved were we in the NATO efforts.
This league leading from behind issue about being in the supply to to the -- to the German -- me to the French and they the British.
But.
What ever our role was.
You don't after the end of a military conflict you don't just -- your duffel bag and go home.
So what will be our involvement from here in the way you were talking sounds like we may need to put boots on the ground.
Ask her the dust settles.
Well somebody needs to I mean there there needs to be some kind of peacekeeping activity on the ground because you're going to have massive reprisals against.
In -- regime figures as well as those whose who fought for his army others mercenary forces in there from other parts of the world.
There needs to be some way of sustaining for example just civil order.
And none of that exists today because there's the transitional national government or the transitional national council that was set up.
Clearly does not have a handle on being able to do that I mean everything we're still seeing -- days after.
The fall of Tripoli we're still seeing chaos in the streets and at some point it becomes a true humanitarian disaster.
I point out that was the reason why mr.
Obama said we were committing ourselves to the NATO operation.
While there are French and British special operations troops that have been on the ground since late march.
We know that those folks are out there looking for those weapons of mass destruction the surface to air missiles and nuclear materials to stockpiles.
Of chemical precursors.
We also know a lot of that stuff may well already be in the hands of al-Qaeda.
In radical Islamic groups moving it through places like Tunisia.
And Syria and Algeria to get it out of the country.
And perhaps into the hands of folks are gonna kill Americans can't I would I would suggest to on that what you're going to see.
Is some kind of international peacekeeping force it will be supplied by the United States we know that -- -- out of American troops on the ground supervising it.
But you gonna at the United States of America ponying up we're now what about a billion dollars in this operation.
Even more to make sure that the outcome is not total chaos.
I and that then that's I think of the major take away here is affected.
-- -- regime goes away but that doesn't mean that we're not going to be involved and it reminds me if you're talking about.
The role that NATO had in Bosnia -- sounds like that may be what you're suggesting.
Yeah in fact what we learned in Bosnia and Kosovo and all of that was that NATO without the United States is essentially -- useless and the -- it is incapable of doing the kinds of things for which it was created.
Back in the 1940s.
It is no longer the kinds of military.
Force.
That has to be reckoned with without the United States -- it and and taking the primary role.
Notwithstanding our great friends the British and quite frankly the French who were the very first to fly missions and in Libya.
Without the United States backing them up command control intelligence collection within the rest of its surveillance.
It's impossible for them.
So that the political debate that goes on about.
How old world where we are militarily.
Are you suggesting that this is going to mean that we're gonna have -- US involvement now.
With some of our military under may be a blue helmeted NATO Elmo whatever might be.
Four years decades to come.
Well I hope it's not decades I mean the one nice thing about -- it's not you don't want it to turn into another Somalia with.
Chemical weapons.
You don't want it piracy and and warlord isn't the break out all over the country and we've got some experience with that because -- -- pulled out with their tail between their legs.
In 93 from Somalia that's what you ended up where.
And of course.
You you can't have that on the southern coast of the Mediterranean city.
You don't want another dictator.
And the idea of a transition to democracy is a good one but it's not the kind of thing to snap your finger and you've got it -- -- And just one election doesn't mean.
A democracy.
Bobby -- -- down and in this press.
It in Africa would point out to you that you -- lot of elections.
The institutions.
Of law and order are in a nonexistent today in -- it is going to take time to rebuild them.
The United States is gonna have to pay for a significant part of that.
Much of that's the consequence of the way this one about.
You're not gonna be able to walk that cat back.
My hope is this is not gonna take decades because there is Libyan oil about one point five billion she's -- one point five million barrels a day.
That they're capable of producing get that back on line that can help pay for.
Last question Syria.
Different animal you've got totally did they basically work at the proxy of -- Ron.
We start doing the same thing there I mean nobody like Moammar Qaddafi but there's a but He Ron likes a sawed in Syria.
Do you suspect we're not even gonna go near that or will there be some involvement now.
Well I can't imagine this administration doing anything even -- overtly about what's going on inside.
Syria and particularly in Damascus nor can I imagine that the Iranians who basically run the place is -- sat trapped.
Are going to allow -- -- to -- for Tehran.
Because once they lose that will.
Spiritual satellite of that it.
Iran -- revolution they've lost their access to Hezbollah and Lebanon just geography intelligent.
The Iranians are not going to let this go down a lot of what's happening on the ground in Syria today.
Is being repressed by.
Deals Islamic revolutionary guard corps -- force which is essentially directing the Syrian army to make sure that they brutally suppressed what's happening.
