There is the diplomatic support to actually do something about it. I agree that tragedies that could be prevented happen all the time and it is terrible that they don't get addressed. This is a situation though where the stars are aligning to do something about it. Does that mean we should just instead turn the other way and say "so what"?
A no-fly zone when the insurgents were on the outskirts of Tripoli, AND freezing Qaddafi's overseas assets, when Sarkozy first proposed it, had a very good chance of being a very quick operation. Remember the stories of the Libyan pilots flying their jets to Malta? His military would have deserted, just like the vaunted Republican Guard of Saddam did in the first Gulf War. End game, Qaddafi out in a matter of days. Waiting the two weeks, gave Qaddafi time to regroup, recoup, and retaliate. Why did Obama finally decide to go-along with the no fly zone? Hillary loaned him a pair she wasn't using at the moment. Most reports are that she had a "Come to Jesus" conversation with Obama. Obama, as expected, handled this situation atrociously. The guy is truly a blithering idiot.
So your suggesting that USA goes on it's own. The UN no fly zone was vetoed thanks to china, india, russia and brasil to begin with that prevented an earlier no fly zone. Now thanks to russia, we now have a no fly zone over lybia, thank's obama!!
Start naming governments that are massacring people on a scale like this. Here's a hint, you wont come up with very much.
"the stars are aligning".... Funny how a country with oil always attracts this sudden motivation of action. Hell, six SAS and two MI6 agents were caught by Libyan rebels with fake passports. Tell me this, what were they doing there? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/07/sas-mi6-released-libya-rebels The SAS and British intelligence agents have now left Benghazi, where rebels are mobilised. 'We don't want new enemies, but this is no way to make contact', the opposition has said. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP How can we be so blindly stupid as to sell arms to despots then bleat about democracy? Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/a...dafi-Libya-bleat-democracy.html#ixzz1H6OE7VON http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...ddafi-just-before-his-troops-began-killing.do Britain sent sniper rifles to Gaddafi just before his troops began killing
Obama is acting just as if Bush would have when we all thought he was different (including me). Why are we intervening now when this has been going on for decades? Other arab countries have similar issues going on like in Libya but are not receiving national media attention so are we going to be the world police over there too? Wouldn't be surprised if other arab nations team up to fight back.Even after the UN forces outst Gaddafi who is going to precede him? Is America going to enforce a democratic government like in Iraq? I don't see this ending pretty at all.
Neither of which are happening now. Rwanda was a horrible tragedy but that happened nearly a year after black hawk down and as a result the public in the US wanted no business in Africa. As for Congo that war ended in 2003 or 2004, so again I'm talking present. And once again, the public doesnt have the stomach for intervening in Africa. While its sad, it is the reality of public opinion. Additionally I'm not sure what airstrikes or a no fly zone would have done in either. The only way to prevent either of those was a full on intervention on the scale of the military occupation in Iraq. Libya is simply airstrikes and cruise missile bombings on strategic targets. It's not the same thing.
I understand and agree with you, if the USA would of intervened it would be Somalia all over again or even Vietnam.
The key difference from Bush is that (a) there are no ground troops, (b) no occupation, (c) full UN authority, and (d) local support in the region. That makes this far more similar to Bush Sr's Iraq war (minus point a) and Clinton's Bosnia intervention than it does Bush Jr's Iraq war. What Arab country has their leader slaughtering their people right now in a civil war? The Arab League are the ones that begged the UN to intervene with the no-fly zone. They are completely on board with this.
So, as long as you are friends of the big dogs, you can get away of doing bad things, or at the least, receive lessor punishment? Nice.
Agree that this is 1 angry man. His accusation is that the US is behind this uprising in Iran a few years ago and possibly behind this uprising. All in a plot to remove enemies and bring in "imperialist democracy". He's been against this country since the day he was born. What he's threating is using the same tactic against the US using the white NRA group. His group tried using the blacks years ago but that didn't go over too well as they rioted in their own neighborhoods. I always thought it was strange as a kid - why would you burn down your own stores - now where are you going to buy your food?
USA on Iraq. USA on Afghanistan. USA on Vietnam. USA on Yugoslavia. USA on Libya, now. Today's score: 50 dead, 150 injured.
If Libyan people are fine,I am fine. I believe they can make their plans for their own future and fight for it. If Gadaffi does not have the support from his people, he'd be gone so soon even before your government launching the missiles to kill more of their people. Talking about slaughtering. how many people are dead there? are those killed Libyans just civilians without weapon? Are those people immune to the laws they have? Is not USA slaughtering Libyans now? what's USA's ground on this? who gives USA the rights that they can judge life or death over there?
I think it's gotten to the point where even countries and citizens of traditionally anti-american sentiments see that Gadhafi needs to get out. In hindsight, everything appears 20/20 but if Obama made too quick of a move to intervene in Libya, the US might be somehow portrayed as the bad guy. That's not what we want since that is very counter productive to the cause. Now the world's opinion on Libya's current situation is nearly unanimous so there's a lot more support, particularly Arab nations and their populations. ps. Don't forget some of this blame is on your buddy Bush, who's decisions on Iraq gave our country a reputation of imperialism and war mongering. We're still cleaning up his mess.
Correction It's the UN. Jordan, Qatar, UAE will join France,Brittain, Italy and USA in laying the smack down on Ghaddafi.
