this is it, boys

[Obvious Sock Account]

I think it is a good thing because white men should not run countries that don't belong to them.  Especially when they dress like a wizard.    But also France should not be invited because Francis people smell bad and are scared easily.    All and all I am glad for Mongolia.  At least now there won't be Communists there.

[drenrin2120]

this...

I'm just wondering, why Libya? African dictators in the 90's used force to stamp out protesters, and I imagine they still do so today...but no one did/does anything about it. Is it because we have a bit of a history with Gaddafi?

...this

I think the reason so many countries are getting involved has to do with the media attention paid to the rebellion. Can you imagine how bad these countries would look if all their citizens are watching this unfold and their leaders all wash their hands of the whole thing? I mean, I don't like Harper, but I'm really glad he's supporting the international coalition

and this.

Even I don't have a real clue. The answer I get at work is that Americans did get hit when they were firing at protesters. Legally, we can only get involved if we do that.

I'm pretty sure America's getting something out of it. War is big business and you make BANK if you have a government job and are involved.

[Prpl_Mage]

Russia demands that bombings should stop and a truce to be called. With peace talk and stuff.
The UN says "meh, we're having more fun this way"(no they didn't, but you get the picture).

This doesn't bode well.

[drenrin2120]

I'm a little upset about this too. All the semantics, tip-toeing around the word 'war'. You'd think with something like this, politics would be last of importance. I guess not even human comes before saving face.

[Valiere]

I'll wait and see how this plays out, although I don't think any of us are terribly excited about getting dragged into yet another military conflict.

[Obvious Sock Account]

I'll wait and see how this plays out, although I don't think any of us are terribly excited about getting dragged into yet another military conflict.

We can't afford to sit one out.

[SaiKar]

Check the timeline at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_military_intervention_in_Libya . Some good quotes in particular:

9 March 2011 - The head of the Libyan National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, "pleaded for the international community to move quickly to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, declaring that any delay would result in more casualties". Three days later, he stated that if pro-Gaddafi forces reached Benghazi, then they would kill "half a million" people. He stated, "If there is no no-fly zone imposed on Gaddafi's regime, and his ships are not checked, we will have a catastrophe in Libya."

12 March 2011 - The Arab League "called on the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya in a bid to protect civilians from air attack".The Arab League's request was announced by Oman's Foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, who stated that all member states present at the meeting agreed with the proposal

I mean, yeah, the US is probably going to get something out of it. We usually do. But authorities - legitimate, relevant authorities like the leader of the Libyan resistance and the entire Arab League – were essentially begging for the no-fly zone to be enacted and enforced.

It'll only be a matter of time before they slowly reverse this position though.

The Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, on 20 March said that the Arab League had wanted "the protection of civilians and not the shelling of more civilians", but on 21 March reiterated his support for the operation.

South African president Jacob Zuma on 21 March called "for an immediate ceasefire in Libya" and demanded that "Operations aimed at enforcing the no-fly zone and protecting civilians should be limited to just that."

Enforce the no-fly zone but don't hurt civilians. Easier said than done, unfortunately. Gaddafi isn't very stupid - he's realized that killing civilians would build outrage against the no-fly zone operation and is herding them around areas like airports and anti-air weaponry that need to be destroyed to enforce the zone. But, even without that, it's still a military operation. Situations change and accidents happen. All it will take is one or two accidents that hit civilians to turn this into a clusterfrak.

This is pretty much how it always goes with the US and rest of the world.

Good times: lol US, so many gunz, maybe u should get some health care instead of another carrier group!
Bad time: hoooooley crap, someone is doing something awful! US, quick, come help!
Good times: wow US, always after the oil lol. u should stop invading countries.

Bastards. All of them.

[Valiere]

Agreed. It's damned if you do, damned if you don't. Do nothing, and we're selfish/isolationist/oilmongering; do something, and we're imperialist/putting down the brown folks/imposing our culture/oilmongering. People suspected Operation Restore Hope in Somalia was about oil, too, even though the possibility of oil in Somalia was only a speculation among geologists (It would seem strange to go to all that trouble for a distant possibility).

[drenrin2120]

Yeah, I'm gonna pretty much agree with you on that. I mean, libya does export a massive amount of oil, but the US isn't acting alone, even if we are the bulk of the firepower.

Maybe its oil, but its far moe likely the politics of it all.

Oh, and thanks for showing me that sai, I thought I heard somewhere that libyans had explicitly asked for a no fly-zone, but wasn't sure.