Muammar Gaddafi was killed on October 20, 2011, ending a seven-month NATO campaign that helped Libyan rebels topple his regime. The United States participated under a limited mandate described as leading from behind, avoiding large-scale ground forces or major reconstruction commitments. Defense contractors who profited from extended operations in Iraq and Afghanistan saw little prospect of similar work in Libya.

The intervention highlighted ongoing debates over U.S. military engagement and contractor involvement in post-conflict zones. Iraq and Afghanistan had generated billions in contracts for security, logistics, and rebuilding, sustaining industry employment for years. Libya's quicker transition and smaller U.S. footprint raised questions about whether future operations would follow the same pattern of prolonged involvement.

The cartoon argues that war profiteers and defense contractors view conflicts primarily through the lens of job creation and revenue. Without a major U.S.-led rebuilding effort, Libya offered no comparable windfall, leaving Iraq and Afghanistan as the established sources of steady work for the industry.