Listening to the president’s statement on U.S. interest in the no-fly zone over Libya, I am principally struck by how well Abe’s assessment (and mine) holds up: Obama has declined a leadership role.

Obama’s language was descriptive, not active or leaderly. He applauded our NATO allies and the Arab League for their leadership and endorsed the points in the UN resolution, but declined to state a U.S. determination to secure any positive objective.

The line quoted above — “The United States did not seek this outcome” — is not a statesman’s comment. It’s whining. Regrettably, with his statement this morning, the president has not clarified or strengthened the U.S. position on executing this military task.