Was Libya a 'Triumph' for U.S.?

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More on this joining us is former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson is -- a former US ambassador -- the United Nations governor nice to have you back with us today.

Thank you gentlemen I'd like to start a conversation playing a little sound from Charles Krauthammer last night on special report with -- a -- that.

So I think to be a mistake if the president.

Pretends that that He can win now proclaim a mission accomplished -- president of the Bush Administration attempted stage one is the beginning and they really hard part.

He's good at is getting a regime that in the -- his democratic.

And from the American perspective is -- friendly to American interest.

So what it in and then the -- -- not -- three.

About what type of regime we want to see in Libya.

What we want to see is a democratic regime we recognize that they haven't had any democratic institutions for forty years and it's going to be difficult.

But I think we've got to help.

The new government that we have to unfreeze the assets.

Qaddafi for economic rebuilding we have to secure weapons.

But I disagree -- That statement He made I think it is a triumph of American diplomacy one the president didn't commit any troops.

NATO firepower was mainly American.

We did prevent a humanitarian catastrophe the new technology of the drones the new technology of the lightning raids was vital.

NATO took the lead.

So I think the administration deserves credit her.

Hey hey policy word NATO lead but we were right there in there now our obligation now I believe.

-- to work with other NATO countries we don't have to take the lead.

Did develop a civil society system.

Elections and they have to cooperate with the international criminal court.

Jenna because I think that.

It's it's it's too bad that He wasn't tried in an international court her -- in -- but obviously emotions were running so so strong.

You mentioned a triumph for the administration -- seems that -- Charles was saying.

We don't want and throw the banner mission accomplished like we did in Iraq of course we know when President Bush did that there are many years before that mission.

I was accomplished and it depends on what -- you're talking to about whether or not it ever wise.

That being said if we take this as a triumph had really taken an expanded to other areas in the region.

Do you feel you have a good sense of our game plan about what we're doing in the mideast and North Africa.

Well -- the next obvious areas who is Syria and the problem with Syria's there was -- there is no international consensus like there was -- Libby differences in the UN Security Council.

Russia and China.

Are opposing what we wanna do which is to put -- Substantially more sanctions on Syria so it's a different situation to Syrian people.

Don't want to stay intervene militarily.

So what we have to do is build a coalition of countries in Europe around the world.

To put some serious.

Economic sanctions.

Personal sanctions on the Syrian leader here.

Find a way I think to strengthen the democratic forces there what is happening in Syria I think there's.

A lot of momentum in Syria after what happened to -- after what's happened in the Arab spring and that's encouraging and we should continue to encourage.

That could develop and there but in other parts of the Middle East and Asia.

Yemen these democratic forces are winning and we should -- ourselves the United States government -- reason and we're doing that.

We sit at this Syrian people don't want us -- -- mean -- militarily today -- we're hearing and we don't have great information coming out of Syria but we're hearing about.

Protest kind of taking off an immense and that you mentioned from.

-- the killing of Qaddafi the question for acts at this time based on our resource is with the coalition like NATO.

Is are we being hypocrites by not extending the same resource is the people of Syria -- Yemen are otherwise that we did to the people Libya.

Now I think -- you have to have support from within.

The Syrian people the opposition they don't want a military intervention.

They want assistance they want pressure on the regime.

They want support.

International support of the United Nations.

We're doing all that.

That that Syria is the linchpin in the Middle East it strategically more important to us that the European countries -- Libya that's the reality.

Libya was important because of energy because of the oil.

2% especially in the Mediterranean.

But Syria you know you involve Hamas Hezbollah -- Iran we gotta protect Israel we gotta be sure that Israel is in a situation now.

It has a really bad neighborhood death turkeys aren't turning against.

Well -- Egypt so we gotta be careful that we not you can have a one size fits all for every country.

This tying in really quickly what the story we led today with his job done and this list couple countries here Pakistan Yemen Iran and Syria Libya Egypt you've gone to Afghanistan Iraq.

And you have this domestic -- at home which is the economy.

At what it what do you think is a message to the American people about where priority -- abroad you say Syria is a linchpin that area why are we not being the most aggressive.

When it comes to the lynch and -- -- the other satellite countries in the area.

Well I think -- what the president said in in Libya and what he's saying in -- and our priorities are at home.

We've got to do something about the economy about creating jobs this is why our involvement with NATO in Libya was limited but but effective.

And this is why what we're doing and in Syria is is effective to know deployment of troops no aggressive military presence.

But I think what has been developed here that will be very useful in the Middle East.

He's -- is these new drones -- videos.

The lightning raids that we did in.

And in -- the air power component.

So I think the president deserves credit for what he's doing.

But it's so important that the job situation in this country think the messages.

Look we we we did the right thing and Libya was limited were not gloating over it.

But what we wanna do now is concentrate and on the economy -- and I wish I wish the house and the senate and and the administration.

I think we need that bipartisanship.

To get a good jobs bill going.

We had as a Republican senators on yesterday that were supportive of the president as well and our in this reality of whether -- when it comes -- at least in Kansas reality of limited time and resources.

At looks like we we have to come together as some of those other domestic issues as well -- governor always nice to have you thanks for coming on today.

Thank you -- nice to be with you.

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Was Libya a 'Triumph' for U.S.?

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