Afghanistan did not attack the US, nor did the Taleban.
Mediterranean has always been in the NATO security zone for the obvious strategic reasons. Lack of security and some kind of UN resolution cover.
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Afghanistan did not attack the US, nor did the Taleban.
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No, the Taliban didn’t attack the US. But AQ certainly did, and they were based out of Afghanistan and had officials in the Taliban government.
Fair enough. As with the US, I don’t see the EU (or NATO) authorizing military action in Libya without a UN resolution. And imposing a no fly zone would be a direct military action.
-XT
I’m not arguing for the idea, I think it’s daft to have NATO involvement. However, justification would be fairly easy given Italian and Maltese proximity and shipping lanes, etc.
As for the NATO involvement, rather post-dates. I don’t believe the justification is an article 5.
So far the UN is just issuing sternly-worded warnings. Next, I think they will them him to go to his room and take a time out. I do hope to see something more substantial soon if the violence continues to escalate.
The UN is not a cop and this is not a pub brawl. And intervening in civil wars is generally a terrible proposition, as the case of Somalia illustrates.
Generally it is, but sometimes it is necessary like Rwanda or Bosnia to stop greater atrocities. I think authorizing a no-fly zone could do that, and hopefully prevent them from occurring instead of coming in to clean up the mess like the above areas.
In other news, Al-Jazeera is reporting that a Libyan naval ship has been spotted off the coast of Malta. I hope they are defecting.
There is hardly enough information to make such judgements, and since the regime itself seems to be splintering, I don’t think playing into his propaganda about Western colonial rule makes any sense.
Well the only group I have heard call for a no-fly zone is the diplomatic corp that defected yesterday. You really think the Libyan people are still falling for his propaganda? Especially after today’s speech?
Let’s just say we can’t predict how the protesters would react to the approach of American or NATO ships or planes, even if purportedly there to intervene on their side.
Quite probably much the same way Americans would react if Al Qaeda sent search and rescue teams to New Orleans after Katrina. A lot of Americans are so firmly convinced we are the “good guys” that they can’t make themselves understand that the rest of the world doesn’t always see us that way. We’ve burned through all our moral and political capital in the Middle East, no one is going to believe that we are well meaning even if we are.
Egypt has a pretty good air force. Just sayin.
They do have a good air force. For the area.
The last time few times Libyan Air Forces attempted to engage US fighters it went badly.
But I will state again that I think we should stay out of this.
You mean like the one they had in Berlin or is it more like the ones they had around the Jewish ghettos in Nazi Europe?
If everyone marched towards those walls peacefully, will the IDF really mow them down? Of course not. Civil disobedience has a much better chance working in a place like Israel than a place like Libya or North Korea.
So what, Teabaggers claim to be REAL Americans. I can call myself a unicorn, doesn’t make it true.
So are you saying the settlers will to shoot unarmed protesters or that they will try to violently overthrow their government?
Reports on the BBC or Public Radio International I heard, mentioned how the unpredictability of Gadaffy was/is a strength for him.
That would work only if his cabinet was predictable in following him.
I think we need an additional Evil Overlord Rule just for Moammar:
“If I ever reach a point where the rebellion cannot be defeated, and I am faced with a choice between (1) running away in shame to wherever I have my secret bank accounts, or (2) making a glorious last stand and taking as many of my disloyal subjects with me as I can, after going on national television to announce my intention to do so – what am I, an idiot? Of course I’ll take the bolt-hole.”
I think Tom Scud was saying that perhaps Egypt shouldn’t stay out of it, as their neighbors are massacred.
I’d say Egypt has it’s hands full with it’s own problems. It doesn’t need to go borrowing trouble at this point.
-XT
The Taliban provided al Qaeda with a staging ground and then when asked to turn over OBL, told us to go pound sand.