Should the US be committed to its allies who have done all they have asked (militarily, diplomatically) when their regime is toppled?

I’m not exactly sure I understand your question. The U.S. consistently allies itself with dictators when it suits us, never seeming to understand that the only allegiance any dictator holds is to himself and his own hold on power. Are you asking if we should have stood by Kaddaffi because we fell for his crap and pander to dictators when is seems to be in our interests (even though it invariably comes back to bite us in the ass. Saddam Hussein? Anyone ever heard of him? Musharraf anyone?) ?!?!

Alliances only persist until they become inconvenient. Be it because of economy or public opinion of either country’s political leadership.
Also, I would not classify the relation with Libya as an alliance. The word implies some sort of equivalence, which simply is non-existant. Libya, like Iraq, are just unwanted dogs being whipped into obedience, only to be shot in the back of the head at the next opportunity.
Remember, Saddam complied with the UN’s demands, but the US invaded anyway.

And, who’s next? The Saudis? 18 of the 19 September 11th hijackers were Saudis. We should have kicked their asses over 9 years ago, if anyone’s ass should have been kicked. Not Afghanistan, not Iraq. Yet we gave Bin Laden exactly what he wanted. We closed our bases and pulled our troops out of Saudi Arabia. Whose the chump there? Whose zoomin’ who?

To Uncle Sam an ally is no longer an ally when they become useless or too weak to defend themselves against a US invasion. It wasn’t so much that Kaddafi was a nice dictator he was basically browbeat into complying. Once he did that the US had no premise by witch to attack him that the world would swallow. When the castle of sand started the crumble the US could not get in there quick enough, not only to take credit for brining Kaddafi down but to keep the French or Germans from planting their flag down unopposed. Why give the French the chance to help out the New Libya and secure all the oil kudos? Things are tanking here, schools are closing, cops and firefighters are being laid off, homeowners are being kicked to the curve, and Uncle Sam say, “sorry kids, can’t help you, I am broke”. Let any war happen in the Middle East, so long as it is not against Uncle Sam’s real master, the Israelis, he is all over it, He will find some money tucked away in a mattress or the cushions of the couch. Every dictator since the Shaw that the US has coddled was not for the dictator, but to serve some purpose for the US, because the US wanted to preserve its image as leader of the free world. Some of those dictators were doing worse than dictators they wanted or have overthrown, like Augusto José Ramón Pinochet. He tortured not only women but children too. Funny how the US want to talk about Saddam when Pinochet was no better, but always the US darling.

I question your use of the word “ally” in this question. Your language skills are better than this.

When we make demands of any government for whatever reason (aside from treaties in which both parties agree to specific requirements) that doesn’t make us ipso facto “allies”. We made some arrangements with the former Libyan dictator so that we could co-exist with him, but that hardly rises to the level of the alliance we have with NATO, or with Israel, for that matter.

I stand by my use of the term ally. And there is a lot of experience, as well as knowledge of the English language, behind that.

Okay then, without getting into a lengthy debate, how would you classify the former dictator of Libya as an ally? I’ve always considered him a borderline (if not outright) enemy, so I’m curious about how you would explain your usage.

I’ve never had any doubt of your command of the English language.

@lillycoyote 18 of the 19 September 11th hijackers were Saudis. We should have kicked their asses over 9 years ago, if anyone’s ass should have been kicked. Not Afghanistan, not Iraq. Mega lurve on that! Seems most will forget anything so long as their vehicles can stay gassed up.

… cheaply.