The UN Security Council is about to vote on a No-Fly zone for Libya, which looks like it will pass. I’ve already stated my piece on this, and appear to be in a mind-meld with Angela Merkel, who wants to know what comes next when the no-fly zone inevitably fails.
Well, we all know what comes next- FREEDOM BOMBS FOR EVERYONE:
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that a U.N. no-fly zone over Libya would require bombing targets inside the country, and a deputy acknowledged that Moammar Gadhafi’s forces were making huge gains against the opposition.
Clinton gave her assessment during a visit to Tunisia and ahead of a planned U.N. vote, making clear the risk of possible military intervention as world powers considered broader steps to protect civilians and pressure the Libyan leader.
In Washington, William Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, told senators that pro-Libyan government forces were about 100 miles (160 kilometres) from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in the eastern part of the country.
The U.N. negotiations took place against a backdrop of increasing skepticism in Congress about the Obama administration’s Libya strategy. Questions focused on what action the U.S. was willing to take to back up its strong calls for Gadhafi’s ouster and whether the crisis could lead to military conflict.
This is ostensibly being sold as an attempt to save Libyan civilians, but I would recommend everyone google the FITD technique. I mean, they aren’t being subtle about it:
The top Air Force general said Thursday that a no-fly zone over Libya would not be sufficient in reversing the momentum leader Muammar al-Qaddafi now has over rebel forces.
Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told ranking Republican Sen. John McCain, “If the president assigns the mission to maintain a no-fly zone, clearly that would have an influence on the thinking of Libyan pilots.”
McCain then pressed the point that if a no-fly zone is imposed now it would be too little too late.
“A no-fly zone, sir, would not be sufficient,” Schwartz answered.
The hearing was scheduled to address budget requests by the Defense Department, but McCain made it clear he would use the opportunity to ask about his increasing frustrations with the Obama administration’s response to the month-old civil war in Libya.
“We are seeing the momentum and the success of Muammar Qaddafi and his killers massacring people while we sit idly by,” McCain said. “And one of the arguments used is that we somehow can’t do it, despite the fact that General Odierno just a few days ago said that it would take a very short period of time in order to impose a no-fly zone.”
The number one goal is not saving civilians, it is getting the no-fly zone in place so that escalation will be easier. When the no-fly zone doesn’t work, we’ll move up to shock and awe, and before you know it, we’ll have troops on the ground. After all, we’re Murrika!
I’ll let you figure out how this is in our national interest and how entering another war with no clear definition for victory or understandable mission is what we need. And someone let me know what color to change the blog to so we are not accused of being with the terrorists.