The United States has a moral obligation to intervene in Libya, says FPI Executive Director Jamie Fly

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As Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi clings to power, vowing to fight "to the last man and the last woman," opposition forces in the eastern part of Libya no longer under government control are pleading for international assistance as the death toll mounts.

Unfortunately, as chaos in Libya has grown, the response of the Obama administration has been to equivocate and waver. It was not until Monday, two weeks after the uprising began, that the Pentagon announced it was sending two naval vessels to the region.

President Obama said on Thursday that his administration was reviewing the option of a no-fly zone, but key officials have sent mixed messages, citing resource limitations and even questioning whether such action was necessary. That is despite numerous reports by those fleeing the violence and journalists on the ground that the regime continues to bomb rebel-held positions from the air.

A no-fly zone enforced by the U.S. and key allies does not require the approval of the United Nations Security Council. The no-fly zones over Saddam Hussein's Iraq and NATO's 1999 war with Serbia over Kosovo did not have the council's explicit blessing.

It is in our interest to see the Libyan people free themselves from Gadhafi's brutal reign. We should thus explore all possible options to do so, including arming the opposition so they are not slaughtered by regime forces.

Gadhafi's days are over. It is just a matter of time until he is forced from power. The question is whether we will stand on the sidelines and continue to watch thousands be killed in protracted fighting or whether we will ensure that his departure is hastened and casualties minimized.

Intervening is a moral obligation for the United States — a moral obligation we've all too often ignored in similar cases in the past, with disastrous consequences. This time we need to get it right. It's time for President Obama to lead.

- Originally written for USA Today