The Thursday evening approval of a UN resolution calling for military attacks against Libya has left the most eager supporters, France and Britain, scrambling to start launching such strikes, with both expected to begin in a matter of hours.
France was already hyping the attacks before the vote even took place, with Foreign Minister Alain Juppe saying his nation was prepared to attack “immediately” after the vote. He also speculated that Britain, the US, and “some Arab countries” would take part.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, who are both already involved in crushing protests in Bahrain, are also expected to take a role soon in the attack on Libya. Britain likewise is a confirmed participant, with Prime Minister David Cameron preparing to address the House of Commons on Friday about the forthcoming war.
The US, however, has been largely mum on what its role will be in the attacks, and while they have deployed some additional ships and aircrafts to the region it is unclear exactly how far they will go in attacking targets within Libya.
I don't get it, what happened to France? France used to be against intervention when Bush was president. Remember O'Reilly got people all stirred up to hate France for not following us off a cliff and they even changed the name of French fries to freedom fries? So what happened to them?
They got a new president, Sarkosy, who had a much more benign attitude to Americans.
I take it, then, you've expanded the definition of "benign" to include willing to be the American warhawks' lap dog?
I wonder if there was behind the scenes pressure from Washington after the French didn't join in our Iraq folly?
Traditional colonial masters are on a rampage again.
The USA + former colonial powers UK, France, Portugal + puppets Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lebanon, Colombia + democracies Nigeria, Gabon + South Africa voted for the resolution. BRIC (Brazil – Portugal's former colony, Russia, India – UK former colony, China) + Germany abstained (roughly half of the world population). Gadhafi may be a nut, but he has a real pack of a**holes against him.
I am English & I feel ashamed to call myself so – Libya is no threat to the English / British people, it is however a threat to BP who are drilling for Oil. I hope BP are paying for every missile launched or fired & the CEO`s will dig the graves for the dead. I hope when a stray missile lands on a school the Oligarchs stand up & take the blame. No western country got involved in the Egyptian uprising – I wonder why? no oil fields to protect? as if the rest of the Middle East dont hate us enough, lets go & bully another into submission.
The diference between egypt & libya is in egypt the dictator took his ill gotten gains & run without killing anybody gadaffi is too greedy to do that, he still wants to milk the country for all its worth even at the expense of libyan lives & any other lives who get in his way, he is a few sandwiches short of a picnic
Each case is a specific one. In 2000 when Bush became President there was no weapon of mass destruction, in 1991 when it attacked Kuweit yes. That's why it's important to get the UN (to act fast on a particular case). A UN resolution has the backup of the international community but they need to be more reactive and this time was a great exemple of an relatively fast international concensus. This will set a precedent for other countries around the globe, it should be a waking call for Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo where civilians are massacred. There is no one case fits all, countries are entities that have a unique history, unique language and costoms. They want to be authors of their own history and tend to look at outside help as occupation as it comes with ties/interests (cheaper mineral ressources, military base, mineral exploitation by foreign companies that do not play fair game).
There were WMD in Kuwait now? Geez…
You seem to forget, though, that the WMD's (fictionally named, chemical weapons by their very nature are NOT weapons of mass destruction) Iraq had in its possession at the time of the Kuwait invasion were left over from those supplied wholly or in precursor form by the US to further the Iraqi fight against Iran.
We give the Iraqis chemical weapons, teach them how to use them against their neighbor, supply them with detailed weather intel needed for their deployment, and then ten years later condemn them because we've decided to reclassify those weapons for propaganda purposes?
Not one dime should be spent by America on another foreign misadventure while cuts are being made in social spending here at home. Everyone who would go off a-searching for more dragons to slay while our children starve, our old people freeze to death and our young people can't get an education are traitors.
The dogs of wars are foaming at the mouth!
The Libyans celebrated the 'no-fly zone' with such excitement last night. They were so happy. To them, 'no-fly' means 'no fly' while to the warmongering, oil-thirsty West, 'no fly' means bomb, invade, massacre, occupy, steal the oil. These poor people are in for such a rude awakening.
Sadly, a NFZ really applies only to fixed-wing flights- Iraq was saddled with a nationwide NFZ for years and still they were allowed to send helicopter gunships against the troublesome denizens of the marsh areas- remember, the ones we promised to help if they'd rise up against Saddam, and the ones we abandoned?
The whole thing is a sham. What it is supposed to be and how it goes down are two different things. However, it does seem that the French are pounding Quaddafi right now, something which the rebels needed very much. Let's just hope for the best. I fear they'll want repayment for their "good deeds" – I know the monster entirely too well to trust them to do anything decent or humane.
A no-fly zone and taking out Gadhafis heavy weaponry would restore the balance of power. Invading the country would be a fatal mistake and will result in an Iraq like situation, meaning war of resistance. There is no need for that, the Lybians are quite capable of doing that themselves. I think it’s to early to tell. It is possible that the US, being already heavily committed in Iraq and Afghanistan may leave the deployment of ground troops to NATO powers.
The interventionist war is starting today, and I'm a bit dissapointed that Antiwar.com is not more updated. There's radio silence in both the news section and blog!
WAR…what is it good for, solving all your problems….
Let's get real shall we? This action is necessary so, all of you – just accept it and be quiet – there's good chaps!