Gadhafi’s reign of terror is a threat to our economy

Political uprisings have turned the Middle East and northern Africa into a war zone. The worst violence is taking place in Libya, where, since 1969, Moammar Gadhafi and his family have terrorized the nation.

For decades, Gadhafi has been nothing more than a crazed socialist thug. He has committed terrorist acts against the United States, killed thousands of his own people, and is an outspoken opponent of Western-influenced democracies.

Many of us remember the Lockerbie tragedy on Dec. 21, 1988, when a bomb aboard Pan Am Flight 103 killed 243 passengers and 16 crew members. Several of those who perished were from New York, including 35 students from Syracuse University, my alma matter. FBI investigations discovered that two Libyan intelligence officials were responsible for the bombing, and it was believed that these men acted under direct orders of Gadhafi.

That bombing continues to haunt me. Libya refused to hand over the two suspects for trial. We never should have let Gadhafi off the hook. Instead, the world community did just that, and now we’re continuing to face the consequences. Today he has lost complete control over his nation and has vowed that he will arm 3 million soldiers and turn Libya into a present-day Vietnam.

President Obama urged Gadhafi to step down, saying he has “lost the legitimacy to lead.” Additionally, the president has held several meetings with military officials to discuss tactical intervention in Libya, including stationing U.S. warships and a possible no-fly zone. Obama has directed the Treasury Department to freeze all assets belonging to Gadhafi, his family, the Libyan government or its financial institutions, and has blocked all of the government’s property in the U.S.

However, the question remains: After demanding that he step down and sanctioning him, now what? The message from the White House has been ambiguous and reflects the lack of a comprehensive strategy.