Obama administration assesses implications of regime’s overthrow

THE dramatic advance of Libyan rebels over the forces of longtime strongman Muammar Gaddafi offers vindication, at least for now, for President Barack Obama’s decision to refrain from using US troops on Libyan soil and to let Nato take the lead in degrading Gaddafi’s military power.

But there are still hazards for the White House.

How the country moves from turmoil to stability presents a new challenge for Obama and could determine how the public views not only his foreign policy but, in some measure, the economy as well.