George Bush's stance on Libya

Libya: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for inspections of nuclear facilities in Libya. Over the course of the last 2 years Libya has been on a trajectory towards renouncing it's programs to develop Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Recently, the Bush administration has made movements towards normalization of relations with Libya. Most importantly, the Bush administration has lifted economic sanctions on Libya under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA). This has been touted as a Bush administration success story as part of its counter-proliferation policy.

George W. Bush: A Bush administration wouldn't necessarily have a different approach to relations with Libya than a Kerry/Edwards Administration, but would view that its policy towards Libya within the boundaries of its National Security Strategy (NSS) and its policy of preemption. The Bush administration views the disarmament of Libya as a success attributable to its counter-proliferation strategy and preemption doctrine outlined in the National Security Strategy.

Quotation "Libya's agreement to terminate their weapons of mass destructions program is an important step forward in addressing the great security challenge of our time, proliferation. It is particularly important that it will be done within the international non-proliferation treaty regime and using the IAEA, the bases of international law and multilateral cooperation and verification. After all, if anyone has any illusions about the true character of Qaddafi and the importance of vigilance in holding him to his word, they need only remember the victims of Pan Am 103 and their families who have paid the price for Qaddafi's past brutality.

Ironically, this significant advance represents a complete U-turn in the Bush Administration's overall foreign policy. An Administration that scorns multilateralism and boasts about a rigid doctrine of military preemption has almost in spite of itself demonstrated the enormous potential for improving our national security through diplomacy. If the President can put aside his go it alone unilateralism to engage with a longtime enemy like Qaddafi, why are the ideologues in this Administration so hesitant to negotiate with North Korea to end their nuclear weapons programs? Why not rally the United Nations and NATO to forge a new cooperative effort to combat proliferation around the globe?" (John Kerry Press Release, 12/20/03, at GlobalSecurity.Org)

Assessment of the Proposal:

This section of the brief requires a little departure from format. Primarily, Kerry would engage the debate over Libya's proliferation of WMD only in response to the Bush claim of a success based upon his policy on Libya. These are some quotations intended to bolster Bush's claims on Libya.

Baker Spring, a Arms Control expert at the Heritage Foundation, describes the Bush administrations interdiction strategy in the context of the Proliferation Security Initiative, "By spearheading the PSI, the Bush administration has taken a major step toward balancing international and national authority in controlling weapons proliferation. This approach allows each participating state to make a contribution toward interdicting relevant shipments in a way that is consistent with its laws and national policies…The speed of the response signals one of the core strengths of PSI: the demonstrated ability to bring to bear the existing assets and capabilities of member states without the exhausting and time-consuming effort of building a large international beaurocracy.

An important, publicly announced case concerned an attempt to ship centrifuges for producing nuclear weapons material to Libya. President Bush described the interdiction in a February 11, 2004, speech on countering the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

In December 2003, Libya announced its intention to terminate its nuclear and chemical weapons programs and forgo a biological weapons program…it is reasonable to assume that the interdiction contributed to Libya's decision, since U.S. and British officials confronted Libyan officials regarding the interdiction prior to the announcement."

(Source: Baker Spring, Heritage Foundation, Testimony before Congress, 8/11/04)

Comparison: Both candidates espouse the benefits of dialogue and multilateralism when it comes to Libya. The difference comes in the timing of this dialogue, and how this dialogue is a sign of an overall strategy towards dealing with the threat of WMD. A Bush/Cheney administration favors a policy where preemption, or the threat thereof, is a primary means of persuasion. This would be coupled with the promise to lift sanctions in return for allowing IAEA inspectors into nuclear facilities for inspections. The Bush administration would pursue this strategy on a case-by-case basis. John Kerry and John Edwards would pursue a consistent policy of engagement and multilateral arms control backed by the strength of the U.S. military. Their argument is that this is the best way to dismantle multi-national arms smuggling networks and preventing the proliferation of WMD. Both candidates have suggested that preemption would be part of their strategy towards combating proliferation but they differ on the role of multi-lateral arms control institutions as part of overall strategy.

Link To Kerry's Libya Issue Brief

Sources

Davis, Douglas (2004). A Syrian Bomb?. The Jerusalem Post. September 10, 2004. p.14. [Lexis-Nexis].

Hirsh, Michael. Barry, John (2004). Madmen, Rogues, & Nukes. Newsweek. October 11, 2004. p.34. [Lexis-Nexis]

Kerr, Paul (2004). Libya Pledges Military Trade Curbs, but Details are Fuzzy. Arms Control Today. June 2004. Retrieved October 12, 2004.

Kerr, Paul (2004). U.S. Lifts Remaining Economic Sanctions Against Libya. Arms Control Today. October 2004. Retrieved October 12, 2004.

Kerry, John (2003). Statement of John Kerry on Libya's Dismantling Weapons of Mass Destruction. Press Release December 20, 2003. Retrieved on October 12, 2004.

Kimball, Daryl (2004). Reality Check: Libya and Iran. Arms Control Today. Jan./Feb. 2004. Retrieved October 12, 2004.

Spring, Baker (2004). International Smuggling Networks: Weapons of Mass Destruction Counterproliferation Initiatives. August 11, 2004. Testimony before Congress. Retrieved on October 12, 2004.