War in Libya: "... obsessed with legality but completely bereft of sense."

Richard Fernandez, quoting Charles Krauthammer:

In any case, for Obama, military objectives take a back seat to diplomatic appearances. The president is obsessed with pretending that we are not running the operation — a dismaying expression of Obama’s view that his country is so tainted by its various sins that it lacks the moral legitimacy to … what? Save Third World people from massacre?

But for those who see Obama operating from malice, here's a thought by Fernandez:

A cynic might be inclined to argue that President Obama’s operation in Libya serves the purpose of preemptively tying up US reserves. It supplies a relatively target easy to beat up on — admittedly a bad guy who looks and plays the part — so that if and when the heavy lifting is required elsewhere the Commander in Chief can justly say, “I already gave at the office”. In that way, if Assad decides to play Hama rules, the President can claim he is already preoccupied with protecting unnamed persons in the Eastern Libyan desert. You can avoid the big conflicts by embroiling yourself in little ones.

The entire Middle East is in an uproar, and Israel will soon become the focus of hate if the Islamofascists topple the current rulers. At that point, Obama can say that he can't help Israel survive because there are no more resources that the US can supply.