Quote Originally Posted by Presley Cannady View Post
Forgive me. "Impossible" was Rex's point.
Indeed it was. And the comment was made not with the suggestion that it was "impossible" to have done anything at all, but rather that positioning the US as a reluctant, non-hegemonic intervenor acting in the framework of international law couldn't have happened much faster than it did.

It certainly couldn't have occurred before the Arab League decision, since I don't see how the Russians and Chinese could have been moved off a UN veto.

Could the US have done it without the UNSC? Yes, but only at a very heavy and enduring political cost. It is doubtful that anyone beyond Britain and France would have joined--and even Britain and France were reluctant to act without a UNSCR, which is why they had been pushing a NFZ resolution.

Given that everyone knows this might not be over quickly, and could get messy, political sustainability is essential. Building the basis for that requires jumping through some diplomatic hoops.