After President Reagan with impediments from France bombed Lybia, Kadafy was freaked out.
Then he got caught with an advanced nuke program and President Bush along with a few NATO allies threateded to kick his backside and country back to the stone ages.
Remembering that crazy old guy Reagan and what he had done Kadafy freaked and turned states evidence.
Whether President Bush would have ordered an attack I have doubts.
Look at what Syria and Iran have been doing and nothing.
I see your point, but there are other factors involved. We could bomb Libya with relatively few repercussions. Iran, on the other hand, could block the Strait of Hormuz and choke off our energy supply, and we'd have $8 per gallon gasoline and a severe economic depression.