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Samantha Power, Irish-born aide, key to Obama Libya attack policy

She made critical intervention with president, says NY Times

By
JAMES ROBERTS,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Sunday, March 20, 2011, 7:43 AM
Updated Sunday, March 20, 2011, 7:43 AM

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Samantha Power


America’s decision to support military action against the Ghadaffi regime in Libya was heavily influenced by Samantha Power, the Irish-born National Security Council special advisor to President Obama on human rights.

Power and UN Ambassador Susan Rice were named by The New York Times as the two key figures who convinced first Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then President Obama to commit to force.

The Times reported that “The change became possible, though, only after Mrs. Clinton joined Samantha Power, a senior aide at the National Security Council, and Susan Rice, Mr. Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations, who had been pressing the case for military action, according to senior administration officials speaking only on condition of anonymity.

“Ms. Power is a former journalist and human rights advocate; Ms. Rice was an Africa adviser to President Clinton when the United States failed to intervene to stop the Rwanda genocide, which Mr. Clinton has called his biggest regret."

Ironically, Power was fired from the Obama campaign during the 2008 campaign for harsh criticism of Clinton during an interview she gave to a reporter in Scotland.

In that interview she said about Mrs Clinton: "She is a monster, too — that is off the record — she is stooping to anything... if you are poor and she is telling you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive."

Power is originally from Dublin and moved to Georgia when she was ten. She was previously a lecturer at Harvard on Human Rights and won the Pulitizer Prize for her book on genocide.

From 1993 to 1996, she worked as a journalist, covering the Yugoslav wars for U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe, The Economist, and The New Republic.

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25 Comments

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kurtjohnson | Mar 24, 2011, 09:34 PM EDT
Had the West stayed out of Iraq in the first place, it would have been much better off - Kuwait was historically part of Iraq and ruled by its own tyrant. Moreover, Iraq under Hussein worked in the interest of the West by creating a counterbalance to Iran in terms of influence and OPEC in terms of oil prices. Sadam Hussein was primarily a secular ruler (as evidenced by the fact that his foreign minister and primary adviser was Christian).

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kurtjohnson | Mar 24, 2011, 09:30 PM EDT
I don't understand the strategy of "dealing with" Libya as opposed to leaving it alone and minimizing Western/Libyan casualites (particularly given that Quaddafi exterminated muslim terrorist from Libya). The people that take power may turn out to be far more dangerous than Quaddafi's regime. The Western public seems to buy the bizarre delusion that democracy can be exported as if its some cheap commodity.

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cuchulain9 | Mar 24, 2011, 12:19 AM EDT
Kurtjohnson: I get your point and in essence agree with it. Its a variant of what I was saying. Whether we should intervene in Saudi, or Bahrain or whatever doesn't get us out of dealing with the Libya question either. That's the essence of the problem. What is the appropriate criteria for intervention? I've said plainly I don't know.

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kurtjohnson | Mar 23, 2011, 10:16 PM EDT
By your logic, cuchlain9, why is the West "staying out" of Saudi Arabia - the most repressive regime in the Middle East. Is it because their tyrant is more successful in preventing armed rebellion?

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cuchulain9 | Mar 23, 2011, 01:33 AM EDT
GeorgeDillon way over reacted to Bailey2000 who said plainly it was a 'close call' and he 'thinks' the west has it right. Those measured comments are consistent with the divergence of opinion left and right in the states on this. It is a hard call. The world clearly made a mistake in staying out of Rwanda. So when is it certain that an unacceptable level of civilian casualties will occur if the international community does NOT intervene? Damned if I know.

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kurtjohnson | Mar 22, 2011, 12:05 AM EDT
Meanwhile, the Saudi tyranny is invading Bahrain to put down a popular uprising. Ironically, Sadam Hussein ran one of the most secular and egalitarian regimes in the region (with a Christian as his foreign minister and a hatred of islamic radicals).

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GeorgeDillon | Mar 21, 2011, 02:32 PM EDT
Bailey2000 == Chickenhawk. These people love to watch bombings on TV. And they swoon when some old wardog from the military, US or UK, maybe even French, comes on to talk about "precision bombing" and "high value etargets". That's the kind of bombing that killed tens of thousands of ordinary Iraqis, of course, but that was just "collateral damage". Listen, if you think it's such a good idea, Bailey, why don't you go over there and get involved in the killing? Chickenhawk.

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kaydog1 | Mar 21, 2011, 01:31 PM EDT
GeorgeDillon, I suspect johhnyb is being sarcastic, like I am when I say that Obama is TRULY earning his Nobel Prize for Peace in that he is managing now THREE "Peace Wars" and yet still has time for vacations in Rio and Ireland AND to fill out his NCAA basketball picks card! (You know, they awarded him the 'Prince of Peace' title before he had even become President - he's just getting started now!) I still remember how proud I felt on that day (sarcasm, again), watching him reach out with those two soon-to-be bloodstained hands of his to take that Peace Prize.....I'm getting a tingle up my leg...

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jcaulfield | Mar 21, 2011, 01:03 PM EDT
Gaddafi has been Libya's leader for more than 41 years. What exactly has he done in recent times to justify the present itervention?

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Towngate | Mar 21, 2011, 11:03 AM EDT
LIBYA IS A MEMBER of the United Nations. That organisation should have insisted on a Total Ceasefire on threat of military intervention - appointed an Independent Negotiation Council - and settled this internal dispute within a friendly member nation. ........ but what happened? The 'West' sat on its hands to see if the ARMED Rebels would succeed on their own. When they got kicked back to Benghazi, Quadafi offered an Amnesty to the rebels. THIS was the tipping point for the 'West' and endangered their Hidden Agenda! so it was time for action! The US and their puppets; France and the UK , the News media, and each of us should hang out heads in shame as we ignore Unenforced UN Resolutions and actual invasions in the region. Shame on us and our duplicity and hypocracy!

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Bailey2000 | Mar 21, 2011, 07:41 AM EDT
I don't think anyone has been in love with Gaddafi for years but when he is lining up to annihilate a city of a million people I don't think you can just sit on your hands. Its a close call but I think the west had right on its side on this one.... We Irish should also not forget who funded our terrorists for years and took out the Pan Am Clipper over Lockerbie. What goes round comes round and I hope Gadaffi enjoys his retirement in Venezuela. Rents form his 12 Billion Pound portfolio of London property will probably help.

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Towngate | Mar 21, 2011, 06:19 AM EDT
JUST WAIT until the 'Rebels' realise they are the 'patsys' - giving the US it's long awaited opportunity to obtain an oilrich launching pad independent of its 'enemy' - Europe! ~ ~ ~ ~ Worse than that; will be when greater 'Arabia' realises, too late, that the 'Benghazi Rebels' opened the door to the destruction of the Arab Culture Generally.

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Scrivner | Mar 20, 2011, 09:58 PM EDT
I do so love the attitude, when Bush took up arms to depose a bloody tyrant who abused his own people under an UN resolution, it was evil. But when Obama does the same thing, he will probably get another Nobel. Ain't the Left grand?

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kurtjohnson | Mar 20, 2011, 09:11 PM EDT
This is sad.

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Towngate | Mar 20, 2011, 08:51 PM EDT
SO SAM persuaded the President ... "first wipe out Libya, then think about a visit to Ireland to spite that Queen person for not wanting people like You and Mi. at her Prince's wedding? Will you do that for little old me? You will get a great big welcome there - we Irish all love you, and really want you to come!"

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