Barack Obama is secretly pro-Gadaffi - or he's a *****.

[Egbert]

After the fantastically successful interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, going for the hat-trick makes perfect sense. :-|

George: "Mission accomplished".

[SlowwHand]

Yeah, right, Aeson. If we had ***** slapped Iran we wouldn't be having the continuing crap from them. Bush sent us to Iraq over bad advice, although Hussein needed to go and Bush had to clean up after his dad and the U.N. and Clinton sitting on his thumb. Afghanistan? What's your point there?

[Whoha]

We should not get involved in this. If everyone wanted him gone they should have shut the hell up, and given us overfly rights the last time.

[Barnabas]

Mobius? Would you rather have an interventionist USA or a non interventionist one?

Lybia is having a civil war, no one knows who will win, lets stay out of this issue. Obama is doing the right thing.

[MikeH]

Uh...what the **** are you on about? The only reason the US WOULDN'T have to bomb stuff is if the Qaddafi forces CHOSE TO OBEY THE NO-FLY ZONE.

In other words, you're predicating your claim here on the complete cooperation of Libyan forces with an order from the US. If the US declared a no-fly zone and wasn't ready to bomb the Libyans then the Libyans wouldn't listen to the order. In order to get cooperation then a necessary condition is that you be credibly committed to enforcing the order.

He's suggesting using the same operational procedures as we used for Iraq no fly zone. Totally uncontroversial!

[MOBIUS]

I just reckon that we in the West should actually decide whether we are for democracy - or against it.

This, IMO, is the watershed moment for the whole region and Obama is fiddling while Libya burns...

[dannubis]

Could you please just leave and STAY gone this time?

You can do us the same favor, anti palestine - ite.

[dannubis]

I'm not even going to read your post, anti semite.

Then why respond to it, arab ahater ?

[Cort Haus]

I just reckon that we in the West should actually decide whether we are for democracy - or against it.

Dubya likes this.

[MOBIUS]

So I take it you're on the anti-democracy side then.

[Docfeelgood]

Question. Why does the world always look to the US to make the first move? Why not any of the EU countries?

[MikeH]

We don't have any military.

[MikeH]

Technically, after the Iraq balls-up, in this case everyone is waiting for the UN to give a clear resolution granting a no fly zone. The Russians and Chinese aren't keen.

No-one can arbitrarily decide to impose a no fly zone.

[MikeH]

Blowing up all their air defences is a great sales opportunity. Think of our arms firms! They could use the business.

[Docfeelgood]

From my point of view it's " damned if we do, damned if we don't ". No win situation.