Successful?
If I recall correctly we were not at war with Libya and regime change nor Ghaddaffi’s death were stated goals, as a matter of fact we were specifically told they were NOT the goals.
So how do have the measure to call this not-a-war “successful”??
I always viewed the removal as Gaddafi as the goal. Of course the U.S. often said that we were just “supporting” the rebels, or protecting various parts of the country from Gaddafi with air force, but the fact is clear that removal of and toppling of that dictator waS at long last the success of the entire operation.
Not a success for either the US or Europe, that is for sure. One known bad actor was swept aside for an unknown, but certainly much worse “bad actor”, who will revive the nuclear program, the biological and chemical agents, and what will become a much more active network of agents and spies than anything we have yet seen from the Muslim world.
The World Caliphate is on track to assume a preeminent position in world affairs, where the Noble Islamic Gentlemen shall be accorded great respect wherever they shall roam. Of course, that may mean that practically the entire ruling class now in some sort of shaky control of the Muslim-majority lands shall have to be liquidated, to make room for the REAL leaders. For if you cannot establish firm control in your own region, how may you extend that power to elsewhere?
Elections among the Islamic world = shooting your way into the palace and running a pogrom against the Jews and other non-believers (which may include other Muslims who do not fall into full accordance with the new regime). Pretty effective way to keep the revolution pure.
The only even marginal advantage for Europe is that a close-by source of petroleum was re-established.
Europe may have been far better off purchasing petroleum from Russia. But then, Russia would have been purchasing much larger quantities from Iran, thus propping up THAT regime.
Perhaps the Swiss will perfect large-scale fusion power generation, and Europe may become almost completely energy-independent, creating petroleum from organic waste with truly cheap electricity, and powering all their transportation with mag-lev power in roadways and rail lines.