Proper Use of U.S. Military Force

Background

On March 17, 2014, U.S. Navy SEALs' rescued a Libya oil tanker that had been hijacked by militia that was opposed to Libya’s government.  Their government had lost control of the major oil ports and breakaway militia was attempting to sell the ship’s oil on the black market to finance their war with the Libyan government.  Navy SEALs' were able to board, capture and disarm the three Libyans who had taken control of the ship and return the ship to Libyan government control.

Analysis

There are times when it is appropriate to use US military power to further our own agenda in the world.  These operations can be debated and usually are, either internally or in public.  For instance, our invasion of Iraq for supposedly having weapons of mass destruction is an example of this action.  If there is an honest and open discussion of options available to us, the U.S., when situations like this arise, then, hopefully, we can make informed decisions about the proper course of action to take.  In the case of the Iraq invasion, the primary reason turned out to be incorrect.  There were secondary reasons for that invasion, but with hindsight those may not be enough to have justified our actions in this case.

But there are other times when we can fill the role of “World’s Policeman” in an appropriate manner.  This case with the Libyan tanker is one of them.  It helps that the U.S. was invited into this situation by Libya and Cyprus.  Some countries are not always able to step up to conduct operations such as this one without assistance.  If an organization like the U.N. is unable or unwilling to help others, then this is a great example of when it is appropriate for the United States to step in and keep the Wild, Wild West of the World from becoming a bully paradise where stronger nations take advantage of weaker nations.

Next Step

Now for your input.  What is your take on this Libyan situation?  When do you think it is appropriate for the U.S. to use military force?  Should we act unilaterally or need an invitation first?  Thank you for your replies.