British DM: Libya’s Rebels Can’t Win

As War Continues, NATO Hopes for Random Palace Coup

Speaking today on BBC Radio 4, British Defense Secretary Liam Fox conceded that the ongoing NATO-backed rebellion in Libya was unlikely to result in the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi, admitting to a “military stalemate” on the ground.

This might sound like bad news, particularly with top leadership from a number of NATO member nations pledging to continue the war until Gadhafi’s ouster. Fox however, suggested an alternative strategy: hoping for a palace coup.

“The key for the Libyan resolution will be whether or not the close circle around Colonel Gadhafi realize there’s no point in investing in him,” insisted Fox. In the meantime, it seems, NATO will just continue on with a war that it doesn’t believe is winnable.

NATO attacked Libya on March 19, and has repeatedly escalated their role in the conflict, nominally to “break the stalemate.” Since NATO’s involvement in the war began, the net result has been a slight loss of territory for the rebels.

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.