Celebrate Good Times?

Now that the rebels have seized most of Tripoli and driven Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi into hiding, Mr. Obama claimed victory for his much-doubted strategy.

Come on!

Though Colonel Qaddafi’s loyalists were still fighting in pockets, and the leader’s whereabouts remained a mystery , the United States and its allies were already grappling with Libya’s future. That means helping the rebels navigate what promises to be a violent, chaotic transition. After that, they must help Libya’s new rulers — people it did not know six months ago — set up a functioning, credible government in a country riven by tribal conflicts and a dearth of state institutions.

Mr. Obama acknowledged those hurdles, interrupting his vacation here to praise the Libyan people on Monday.

“Your courage and character have been unbreakable in the face of a tyrant,” the president declared, in a somber seven-minute statement. “Your revolution is your own, and your sacrifice has been your own. Now the Libya that you deserve is within your reach.”

The bombs and logistical support ... those were ours. You're welcome. Glad to be of help in assisting you with that independence thing...

But he also urged the Transitional National Council, which the United States recently recognized as Libya’s legitimate government, to pursue a peaceful, inclusive transition, saying, “True justice will not come from reprisals and violence; it will come from reconciliation and a Libya that allows its citizens to determine their own destiny.”

“In that effort,” Mr. Obama pledged, “the United States will be a friend and partner.”

Almost like ... a soulmate. No, really.
And it's not just your oil we're coveting either, baby...

Trust us?
What's to lose?

That could be a difficult, long-term partnership, analysts said, noting that unlike Egypt or Tunisia, where there were established state institutions to help smooth the transition from long-time dictators, Libya under Colonel Qaddafi — four decades of a cult of personality — has left little formal structure for the new rulers to build on.

“They are basically starting from scratch,” said Steven A. Cook, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Now will really be the test for the United States, because there are a lot of centrifugal forces that could pull this apart.”

Sounds ... expensive. Good thing we've properly squared away things here at home, now that it seems we're taking on a major overhaul of OPG -- other people's government.

ADDED:

Some 80 percent of Libyan oil production went to Italy and France. Libya, in normal times Africa’s fourth-largest oil producer, has one of the continent’s largest oil reserves of some 44 billion barrels, more than Nigeria or Algeria.

Mr. Cameron said that Britain and others would now assist Libya’s “effective transition to a free, democratic and inclusive” nation. Mr. Sarkozy said that France would continue “to stand at the side of the N.T.C. and all Libyans to achieve the liberation of their country from oppression and dictatorship and help them realize their aspirations to liberty and dignity.”