France, Britain Scramble to Attack Libya

First Attacks Expected in a Matter of Hours

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.

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.