US Preparing for Possible Libya Invasion

More US Troops Sent to Region as European Nations Reject Participation

Though the Libyan protest movement has been very outspoken in the main in its opposition to foreign military operations, the continued reports of fighting coupled with the occasional report of some unnamed rebel wishing the US was occupying the country has left open the question of exactly what the US military is going to do.

Indeed, top officials continue to insist that they are mulling different options for how to use military force against Libya, and while some (like Defense Secretary Robert Gates) are warning that it might be hasty, more troops and warships continue to be moved into the area.

Which seems, in and of itself, to make the possibility of a US invasion greater. After all, with a unit of US Marines deployed to Greece now just in case, the task of starting such an invasion becomes all the easier.

But if the US does it, indications are they’ll likely be doing so mostly alone. German FM Guido Westerwelle insisted Germany views a military occupation of Libya as “very counterproductive” while Italian officials absolutely ruled out any military role, citing lingering resentment from their multi-decade occupation in the early 20th century.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.