Libya: 11th hour bid to stop Gaddafi as US finally backs intervention

[Playinghardball]

Source: By Damien McElroy, Tripoli, Alex Spillius in Washington and Bruno Waterfield in Brussels

A Military intervention against Col Muammar Gaddafi's onslaught on Libyan rebels has been proposed at the UN in an eleventh hour bid to stop the dictator crushing opposition strongholds.

European diplomatic sources said that military operations could be under way "within hours" of the UN vote, using Nato and British airborne forces already in the region.

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, said a wide-range of options were being considered short of direct boots on the ground, including a no-fly zone, the deployment of drones and arming the rebels.

A UN Security Council resolution drafted by Britain, France and the United States proposed to use "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians, language that would clear the way for air attacks on any of Col Gaddafi's forces moving against non-military targets.

read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8389007/Libya-11th-hour-bid-to-stop-Gaddafi-as-US-finally-backs-intervention.html

[WCGreen]

1. Yes, do something for the betterment of the people who are daring

to be free...

[readmoreoften]

5. I wish it were that. But we don't care about people longing to be free.

Look at our position in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain right now. We are backing the slaughter of the people of Bahrain to prop up kings. This is in a large part an attempt to occupy oil-rich territory between Tunisia and Egypt during their ongoing revolutions. The situation in Libya is tragic but we are not going there to "help". We're going there to take over.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Yep. You got it.

Just saw a news clip via RT about what the USA is planning to do with the Billion or so of
Ghaddai's "frozen assets".
Keep it, of course, just like we kept Iran's money.

[meow mix]

13. whatever. ghadafi hires killers to de-limb his people. glad to see some action

take these fuckers down

[WCGreen]

14. Exactly!

[Nye Bevan]

2. The right thing to do.

I know many DUers have vociferously opposed any form of military intervention, but we need to help these people.

[Desertrose]

4. I think the point has been reached that these people need help.

Maybe past the point...I just want Gadaffi to NOT win this...he needs to GO. NOW.


Why can't they just get help without strings attached?

[readmoreoften]

7. We have no intention of helping the people of Libya.

Our foreign policy at the moment is to back the monarchs in Saudi and Bahrain against their own people. The government is murdering people in Bahrain and we're on their side. Why would we be on the side of the uprising in Libya? Other than its an oil-rich country in-between the radicalizing revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt?

Think about it. I want to help too, but we're not going there to help.

[readmoreoften]

3. No. The only group on the ground who wants us there is the CIA-backed

far right minority the National Front for the Salvation of Libya. If we really cared about the rebels, we could send arms. This is bad news for the rebels, not good. If we cared about Libyan civilians, why would we be backing Saudi Arabia and Bahrain against its citizen uprising? Why did we support Mubarak all these years?

An airstrike, plus a no-fly zone require boots on the ground. The rebels are in a hopeless situation because it has become a civil war. We need to let people self-determine who they are and not intervene in civil wars.

[Desertrose]

6. See, I agree with this too.

Problem is that any help (other than arms I suppose) comes with conditions & strings.


I just want the free Libyans to be safe and free...and I have no idea of the best way to do that.

[readmoreoften]

8. I agree. Unfortunately, they have to liberate themselves.

If they fail, then hopefully Tunisians and Egyptians can rise in solidarity with them and help them mount a second campaign. We will not be there to help, rest assured. Sometimes you have to let the process unfold. Sometimes it doesn't happen in the first uprising.

[pinboy3niner]

11. If Gaddafi prevails, there will be no 2nd chance for the opposition

They will be rounded up in a grand purge, and there will be no opposition left to challenge Gaddafi. It's already happening in Tripoli and in Zawiyah and every city or town the government forces have recaptured.

The opposition has this chance only, and they know it.

[Desertrose]

15. This is why I want them to get as much help as possible...

Once Gadaffi is no longer a threat, then (hopefully) everything else can get sorted out.....

As you say the opposition has this chance only to get G out. He has to be removed as soon as possible.

[Duende azul]

10. It's odd that the only armed rebellion in the region happens in Libya.

In all other cases (Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco...) the US asked the rebels to restrain themselves.
Not so in Libya.

Time to question some common assumptions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilHsmea4P5E

btw: There are more places with civil wars. You could claim in every case, the government is killing their own people.
But only if oil is an ingredient, no no-fly-zone for you.

Let`s hope Russia and China stop this intervention.

[karynnj]

16. So, it was the rebels that were violent first?

The difference was that the government responded violently - which did not happen in Egypt and Tunisia.

[old mark]

12. K&R Good. nt