The Political Junkie offers an outside-looking- in view of the US. Each day, we will highlight news and opinion pieces from around the world that are focused on US politics and policy. Agree or disagree with the opinions you will read but take a few minutes to see yourselves as others see you.
Slain envoy would have urged US to 'waver not' on Libya
US intervention does little to honour Chris Stevens' vision, writes Robin Wright.
More than anyone else, Stevens convinced Washington that the National
Transitional Council (NTC) had the political bona fides to pick up the
pieces after Colonel Gaddafi's 42-year rule. His assessment has so far
proved accurate. When Libyans went to the polls in July, most rejected
hardline Islamists as well as separatists. And many NTC officials won
the popular vote.
Most colleagues thought Chris was daft for taking the
ambassadorship, in what would be his third Libyan tour. But he was
excited. ''It's going to be fascinating. Wild, but fascinating,'' he
told me.
A week before his murder in Benghazi, we exchanged emails
about plans to visit Libya. A State Department travel warning cited
increasing assassinations, car bombs and gunmen abducting foreigners.
Chris saw the potential over the peril. He was not one declaring the
Arab Spring had made the region worse. He understood the Middle East
was moving into the second phase of its traumatic transition as Arabs
vie to define a new order.
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