Is The Chaos In North Africa A Result Of President Obama's Support For The Arab Spring And Lack Of Involvement Since

Algerian Hostage Crisis Throws Spotlight On Spillover Of Libyan War -- Washington Post

CAIRO — The hostage standoff at an Algerian gas field has thrown a fresh spotlight on the spillover unleashed by the 2011 war that toppled Moammar Gaddafi in Libya.

Experts say the vast quantities of weapons and fighters that streamed out of Gaddafi’s arsenals may have served as a catalyst for the region’s expanding crisis.

But the bold move on the gas complex near the Libyan border this week, coupled with the swift military successes of militants in Mali, have also raised questions about NATO’s handling of Libyan arsenals, as well as the country’s borders, during the eight-month revolution, in which the alliance assisted Libya’s rebel forces.

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Update: Jihadists’ Surge in North Africa Reveals Grim Side of Arab Spring -- New York Times

My Comment: In Europe the consensus is that France decided to intervene in Mali only when Islamic militants decided to march on the capital and the White House was ambivalent on becoming involved. This is further reinforced by recent U.S. news outlets who are reporting on White House and Pentagon officials disagreeing publicly on the degree of danger posed by Islamist militants in West Africa.

What's my take .... Russian President Putin and others have warned repeatedly in the past year that U.S. support of rebels in North Africa will reap consequences that will not be in our best interests. Unfortunately .... he and others have so far been proven right. But President Obama need not worry .... his supporters in the press are still blaming President Bush for everything.