"Nobody ever listens to me..."
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JMA
This discussion would be purely of an academic historical nature had a decisive and short sharp intervention been carried out in response to UNSC resolution 1973.
Never possible in this day of humanist world guvmint...
Quote:
I suggest that what we are seeing is the classic deterioration of the Libya matter into philosophical and pseudo-academic discussion of the rights and wrongs rather than asking the simple question "who is responsible for the cock-up"? This followed by "what should the consequences of their failure be"?
The cock up -- in your eyes, though I'm inclined to agree with Dayuhan and Rex -- was eminently predictable and politically virtually inescapable. Did I earlier mention that? ;)
The West no longer does consequences for failure. Hard to punish the entire Committee, you see... :rolleyes:
Update from the Western frontier
Thanks to Enduring America for the signpost to an update on the rebel activity in the western mountains of Libya - in the NYT:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/wo...ibya.html?_r=1
And what the US was doing in Iraq was clear in 2003
but not so much so a few years out. How might you reconcile nos. 1 & 2 in your list, Rex, with the so-called fact that U.S. forces are not engaged in hostilities in Libya? (As if the answer to such a question matters in the post-fact society that the United States has become.) There does seem to be a general problem with thinking beyond the next election…
Quote:
Had NATO had the luxury of a clandestine-first strategy in Libya it might have adopted that approach too, but given the speed of Q's advances and the military situation of the rebels it simply wasn't an available policy choice in March 2011.
as NATO members had the luxury of taking Gaddafi back into the diplomatic fold and availed themselves of it. Hell, I only know what I hear on NPR but 17:00–19:20 of the 07 March 2011 Fresh Air seems relevant here.
Ode to NATO’s Fiscal Farce in Libya
Ode to NATO’s Fiscal Farce in Libya
Entry Excerpt:
Ode to NATO’s Fiscal Farce in Libya
by Jim Egan
Is it not unconscionable that the US, UK & French military
have failed in 100 days and £400m to route Col. Gaddafi?
There are ways to prompt him to flee,
And end his strange reign of tyranny.
In a previous life Jim Egan served on staffs on Capitol Hill, at a Pentagon software contractor, and in the White House. Today he is a technologist active in digital futures initiatives that can influence the emotions, brand loyalties and discretionary spending patterns of 100m-sized online audiences.
--------
Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
Libyan rebels say military commander shot dead
While Younis was one of the dodgier members of the rebel NTC—he had been deeply involved in Qaddafi's repression—it is never a good sign when 1) you can't trust your senior military commanders, and 2) armed groups take revolutionary security into their own hands:
Quote:
Libyan rebels say military commander shot dead
RAMI AL-SHAHEIBI
Benghazi, Libya— The Associated Press
The head of the Libyan rebel's armed forces and two of his aides were killed by gunmen Thursday, the head of the rebel leadership said.
The death of Abdel-Fattah Younis was announced at a press conference in the de facto rebel capital, Benghazi, by the head of the rebels' National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil. He told reporters that rebel security had arrested the head of the group behind the killing.
Rebel security had arrested Mr. Younis and two of his aides early Thursday from their operations room near the rebels' eastern front. Security officials said at the time that Mr. Younis was to be questioned about suspicions his family still had ties to Moammar Gadhafi's regime.
Mr. Younis was Mr. Gadhafi's interior minister before defecting to the rebels early in the uprising, which began in February.
Mr. Abdel-Jalil said that Mr. Younis had been summoned for questioning regarding “a military matter.” He said Mr. Younis and his two aides were shot before they arrived for questioning.
The mutual suspicions/rivalries among some NTC commanders in the East has severely undermined efforts to capture Brega, let alone advance beyond that.
“Reporting in Libya and dodging bullets, bombs”
C.J. Chivers was interviewed on today’s Fresh Air in regards to his work in Libya. Worth a listen.