Charles F. Dunbar is a professor of international relations at Boston University College, former ambassador to Yemen and Qatar, former director of the U.S. embassy in Kabul. It is Persian and Arabic scholar. Washington can not do nothing without relying on the Security Council of the UN. We must act in two directions: one, to rise very quickly the pressure on the regime to end its abuses, and two, to prepare active intervention to protect those who can.
It is possible to draw a parallel, though still limited, with the situation in East Timor, where the Security Council had passed an Australian-led intervention. An area of the country today came into dissent is severely threatened by the regime. This might justify armed intervention to prevent a fatal punishment because, unlike the case of Egypt, the Libyans begging the international community to assist them.
It would be a textbook case of the right to interfere. It is not certain that America should govern the conduct of such an operation, but it should push the UN debate that action be taken if events escalate into Libya. The Chinese and Russians will find it difficult to argue that it is a mere "internal affair".
The key is not to present the action as having the objective of overthrowing the regime but to protect threatened populations. However, the available information raises a question: what is the real strength of the militia which has Qaddafi? Nobody knows. But there are good signs: the Arab League has already suspended the participation of the Libyan delegation.
This act makes clear that its members will not oppose intervention. Logically, the country could play the leading role in Libya, identical to that of Australia in East Timor, would be Italy. But it would be a big problem given the limited credibility, at least, of its leader. Interview by Sylvain Cypel (New York) 
It is possible to draw a parallel, though still limited, with the situation in East Timor, where the Security Council had passed an Australian-led intervention. An area of the country today came into dissent is severely threatened by the regime. This might justify armed intervention to prevent a fatal punishment because, unlike the case of Egypt, the Libyans begging the international community to assist them.
It would be a textbook case of the right to interfere. It is not certain that America should govern the conduct of such an operation, but it should push the UN debate that action be taken if events escalate into Libya. The Chinese and Russians will find it difficult to argue that it is a mere "internal affair".
The key is not to present the action as having the objective of overthrowing the regime but to protect threatened populations. However, the available information raises a question: what is the real strength of the militia which has Qaddafi? Nobody knows. But there are good signs: the Arab League has already suspended the participation of the Libyan delegation.
This act makes clear that its members will not oppose intervention. Logically, the country could play the leading role in Libya, identical to that of Australia in East Timor, would be Italy. But it would be a big problem given the limited credibility, at least, of its leader. Interview by Sylvain Cypel (New York)
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