Enemy of Enemies

There is an ancient saying in the Middle East: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." This idiom is qualitatively different than "friend of friends" and does not necessarily hold true for the United States in our dealings with Libya's rebels. While those opposing Muammar Gaddafi certainly have come to rely on the assistance of NATO, particularly in the realm of air power, reports continue to emerge that we are now figuratively "in bed" with fighters formerly (and possibly currently) associated with al-Qaeda. No one will ever doubt that Gaddafi has been a tyrant at home, an exporter of terror for years, and in ways a comic opera clown, but if the West ousts him, we must consider that something even worse will fill the void- and an al-Qaeda linked regime would surely be a greater thorn in America's side than Qaddafi has ever been.