From the UN:
“26 February 2011 – The Security Council today voted unanimously to impose sanctions against the Libyan authorities, slapping the country with an arms embargo and freezing the assets of its leaders, while referring the ongoing violent repression of civilian demonstrators to the International Criminal Court (ICC).”
While China may abstain from a vote to institute a no-fly zone, I doubt they would veto it. China has enough problems with their human rights record. I doubt they see any need to add fuel to the fire.
Don’t be silly. Between them the European NATO members field numerous squadrons of Eurofighter Typhoons and other advanced fighters. Italy has an air force base within 400km of Tripoli. It may be that some US AWACS and aerial refueling assets would be invaluable, but I strongly suspect that the Italian Air Force could have a flight of Typhoons over Tripoli within the hour if the appropriate orders were given.
Then the blood will be on Qadaffi’s hands and anybody more intelligent than an imbecile will immediately recognize Qadaffi intentionally sent those planes to be shot down to blame America.
Alright I apologize for that but don’t forget China was represented by Nationalist China until 1971 or so.
The time to engage in a no-fly zone would have been when we had American citizens to protect. That ship has literally sailed.
On the other hand, there is still some unfinished business associated with the bombing of flight 103 so maybe Gaddafi could be offered early retirement.
BBC just showed General John Mattis of Central Command telling Congress that establishing a no-fly zone is more than just shooting down a couple of planes. We’d have to bomb air defences and do a lot of other stuff. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates does not seem to favor it either.
Looks like David Cameron is all for it though. I’d think it great if Nato would do it, but they won’t without UN backing, and analysts on the Beeb think China and Russia would both veto it.
The rebel leadership council in now calling for UN air strikes against mercenary encampments. Their calls for no foreign intervention - on the ground - are directed as much against them as they are to any pro-rebel or neutral forces.
A lot of battles across the country today, but also seeing reports of Libyan pilots missing their targets. As the reporter put it, they are either terrible shots or doing so deliberately.
Cite? I did see a report on CNN yesterday that there were rumors that the Libyan opposition was considering asking the U.S. for an airstrike to topple Gaddafi’s government. However, they stressed this could not be confirmed, and that it goes against everything else we’ve been hearing out of the opposition, and that, at present, the opposition has no recognized leadership that could make such a request.
There is nobody who can speak for the revolutionaries. They can not ask for us to intervene. I have seen people involved in the fight ask for outside help and others saying stay out.
It has to be a UN mandate. Without it, we are the imperialists who are taking over Arab oil countries. It may be we have to stand by the side and watch Gadaffy win. But if we get in many will suddenly back him. We do not need to make him a sympathetic leader standing up against the voracious ,imperialist capitalists.
There is nobody who can speak for the revolutionaries. They can not ask for us to intervene. I have seen people involved in the fight ask for outside help and others saying stay out.
It has to be a UN mandate. Without it, we are the imperialists who are taking over Arab oil countries. It may be we have to stand by the side and watch Gadaffy win. But if we get in many will suddenly back him. We do not need to make him a sympathetic leader standing up against the voracious ,imperialist capitalists.
And Berlusconi was, as usual, the only idiot in Europe to give support to Ben Ali after the beginning of the revolution there. He isn’t enough of an idiot to support Kadhafi, but I wouldn’t count on him to order any palatable or even sensible action.
That’s daft, utterly daft. Why the bloody hell would you do a no fly zone when your citizens are on the ground, ripe to be taken hostage?!?!? That is precisely the time you don’t say or do anything.