As the fighting in Libya approached its capital in Tripoli, Washington scrambled to withdraw its personnel from the embassy, earning Republican criticism for its weak foreign policy in the region.

Top Republicans overseeing foreign and intelligence affairs said they were relieved that the evacuation had gone smoothly. However, they also noted that the emergency evacuation had only underscored the Obama administration's poor leadership.

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House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and House Intelligence panel leader Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said the crisis could have been averted and should have never reached this point.

He compared the Libyan situation with those across Eurasia, the Middle East and Northern Africa, and said that the crises highlighted the administration's lack of commitment to resolve the issue and that its foreign policy clearly lacked direction.

He said the U.S. should be more engaged in Libyan ground operations. While he believed that administration has been on track, he noted that the response had been a little too late.

Royce noted that the U.S. failed to follow through with its policy after it had overthrown former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The absence of U.S. intervention would only make it harder for Libya to achieve political stability, he said, adding that once its embassy in Tripoli reopens, Washington must quickly resume its efforts to help Libya move forward.

Observers acknowledged the White House's lack of initiative in Libya.

Brookings Institution foreign policy and U.S. defense strategy expert Michael O'Hanlon said that the U.S. needs to step up on efforts to resolve the crisis.

While the U.S. had been successful three years ago, he noticed that efforts have been "floundering." He said that if the administration is committed to seeing Libya succeed, then it must exert strong and concerted efforts, citing a more intense training program for the Libyan army.

Director at the American Enterprise Institute Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies Gary Schmitt said the administration finds itself in a difficult position since helping Libya succeed would require the presence of U.S. troops and State Department personnel in the country - a similar scenario in Iraq, which the government seeks to avoid.

In 2012, Obama's administration was lambasted by critics for its slow response in Libyan affairs that led to the rebels' infiltration in the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, resulting in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

TagsLibayan crisis, Libyan civil war, Foreign Policy, Ed Royce, Mike Rogers, international intervention, Security situation in Libya, US Embassy, Michael O'Hanlon, Christopher Stevens