US, British and French forces attacked Libya yesterday. As I anticipated, the US took on the role of air defense suppression. The last time I favored a military intervention, it did not go well, because instead of going after Osama and Al Qaeda, as promised, GW ignored his stated goals, tried to build a pipeline to rest control of gas fields in the “Stans”, and installed a corrupt puppet, a Unocal employee, and withdrew the forces needed to carry out his promised goal to employ in attempt to conquer Iraq. Therefore, my support for this operation is not without reservation.
The US, Britain and France pounded Libya with air strikes and Tomahawk missiles on Saturday, sparking a furious response from Moamer Kadhafi who said the Mediterranean had now become a "battlefield."
United States and British forces fired at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libya’s air defence sites, a top US military officer said, two days after a UN Security Council resolution with Arab backing authorised [sic] military action.
Libyan state media said that Western warplanes bombed civilian targets in Tripoli, causing casualties while an army spokesman said strikes also hit fuel tanks feeding the rebel-held city of Misrata, east of Tripoli.
Libyan state television said a French warplane was shot down in the Njela district of Tripoli, but the French military swiftly denied the report.
Kadhafi, in a brief audio message broadcast on state television, fiercely denounced the attacks as a "barbaric, unjustified Crusaders‘ aggression."
He vowed retaliatory strikes on military and civilian targets in the Mediterranean, which he said had been turned into a "real battlefield."
"Now the arms depots have been opened and all the Libyan people are being armed," to fight against Western forces, the veteran leader warned.
US President Barack Obama, on a visit to Brazil, said he had given the green light for the operation, which is codenamed "Odyssey Dawn."… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Alternet>
Here is Barack Obama’s statement.
As a rule, I tend to oppose military solutions to international problems, but I see this as a unique case in which we are likely to save far more lives than we take, as long as re limit our role to air defense suppression and counter air, leaving more direct attacks to our European and Arab partners, and under no circumstances, committing US ground troops.
However, we still need to address the hypocrisy of supporting the autocratic governments of Bahrain and Yemen, whose atrocities against their own people differ from Gaddafi’s only in scale.
12 Responses to “Libya – The Battle Begins”
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I haven’t checked the facts, but what do you want to bet that most of Libya’s oil goes to England and France? It is no coincidence that they are leading the attack.
Most of Libya’s oil goes to Asia, Jerry.
Actually, according to this source most of the oil is sold in Europe with China buying less than 10% of Libya’s oil.
Jerry, you are correct. When you asked yesterday, I googled it and thought the source was reliable. Mea culpa.
Thanks, TomCat. If you were a republican you would have attacked me as a liberal, commie, socialist, anti-American nazi who has sex with animals.
You don’t? I thought critters were pretty indiscriminate about critter-copulation. 😈
Shhhhhhhhh! 😎
😎
Agreed that we keep this an air campaign and not get ground troops out there. Mommar should be easy enough to take out – we almost got him the last time he started acting up.
Libya’s elite and middle classes are centered around Tripoli. Daffy has strong support in them, because they owe their lifestyle to his patronage. That may make him more difficult to take out.
Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I hate war with a passion, but I’m glad we’re helping defend the Libyans from a manic despot who’s bent on slaughter.
Welcome BlueAyez! 🙂
I’m with you. I just hope we can do what we need to do and get out.