UN authorizes no-fly zone over Libya

[DogOnPorch]

Damn...gives new meaning to the term "shot down". Safe ejection...must be a Martin seat?

The Zvezda K-36DM seat. Not like those first Rooshin 'jection seats which were practically spigot mortars.

Edited March 19, 2011 by DogOnPorch

[Thundercheif]

It's about time the U.N. puts it's money where its mouth is. Apart from the Yankees behaving like idiots for the last decade,

this proves that the organisation can actually perform it's intended function; to protect innocent people from the tyrany of corupt governments.

Of course this is simply about oil, but at least it's vailed with decency and restraint and I don't have a problem with that in this case.

If a limited but decicive intervention will benefit the people of Libya, I don't see anything wrong with it.

We have, as a capable society, a responsability to ensure that Rwandan type (and so many others) situations never occur again.

Keep it simple and keep it focussed.

Are you listening U.S.A.?

Thats how you REALLY win the peace and admiration of the world.

[GostHacked]

It's about time the U.N. puts it's money where its mouth is. Apart from the Yankees behaving like idiots for the last decade,

this proves that the organisation can actually perform it's intended function; to protect innocent people from the tyrany of corupt governments.

Of course this is simply about oil, but at least it's vailed with decency and restraint and I don't have a problem with that in this case.

If a limited but decicive intervention will benefit the people of Libya, I don't see anything wrong with it.

We have, as a capable society, a responsability to ensure that Rwandan type (and so many others) situations never occur again.

Keep it simple and keep it focussed.

Are you listening U.S.A.?

Thats how you REALLY win the peace and admiration of the world.

The UN is nothing but a boys club. Controlled by the USA, UK, Russia and China. It's funny you praise the UN in your first part of the post, but yet question the motives because of the oil. And expect more 'Rwandas' in the future.

[Wilber]

Damn...gives new meaning to the term "shot down". Safe ejection...must be a Martin seat?

How crazy was this guy?

[Post To The Left]

The UN is nothing but a boys club. Controlled by the USA, UK, Russia and China. It's funny you praise the UN in your first part of the post, but yet question the motives because of the oil. And expect more 'Rwandas' in the future.

Yeah it's called the security council and its five veto-wielding permanent members do control the UN. But any action is usually stopped by the diametrically opposed political aims of the five members. It's interesting that Russia and China allowed this to go through.

[bud]

The UN is nothing but a boys club. Controlled by the USA, UK, Russia and China. It's funny you praise the UN in your first part of the post, but yet question the motives because of the oil. And expect more 'Rwandas' in the future.

there are a few organizations within the UN which are a benefit to society.

[GostHacked]

there are a few organizations within the UN which are a benefit to society.

They'd benefit more if they were not part of the UN.

[GostHacked]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12969004

I am no fan of Qaddafi, but this looks like out right theft. Now they are not even waiting for regime change. The 'rebels' along with the UN and NATO are simply stealing the oil now. And they don't even seem to want to hide the fact.

There were unconfirmed reports that the tanker en route to Libya was the Liberia-flagged Equator vessel, owned by Greece-based Dynacom Management.

Lloyd's List, the shipping news and data provider, says that some 1 million barrels of oil are expected to be loaded on to the tanker - possibly bound for Qatar.

The small Gulf state has recognised Libya's rebels as the country's legitimate government and has agreed to market oil from rebel areas.

Libya is Africa's third largest oil producer, but exports have dried up since the anti-Gaddafi uprising began some two months ago

So only Qatar has recognized the rebels as the legitimate government, so that means it is ok to simply steal the oil? Qaddafi said before that the rebels were being helped by Al-Queda. And now the UN and NATO are helping these rebels who just might well be elements of Al-Queda.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371184/Libya-Obama-says-noose-tightening-Gaddafi-Natos-Al-Qaeda-warning.html

Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabr al-Thani, also backed Mrs Clinton, suggesting that the issue of arming dissident forces would have to be looked at if air strikes fail to accomplish their goal of protecting civilians.

The news comes as Admiral James Stavridis, Nato's supreme allied commander for Europe and also commander of U.S. European Command, said 'we have seen flickers in the intelligence of potential al Qaeda, Hezbollah'.

Giving testimony at the U.S. Senate, Adm. Stavridis added: 'We are examining very closely the content, composition, the personalities, who are the leaders of these opposition forces.'

He added: 'We are examining very closely the content, composition, the personalities, who are the leaders of these opposition forces.'

The comments have sparked an embarrassing diplomatic spat between NATO and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, who disagreed that al Qaeda was involved in the rebel movement.

Ahh so, that is how Qatar is involved in the theft.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8407047/Libyan-rebel-commander-admits-his-fighters-have-al-Qaeda-links.html

In an interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, Mr al-Hasidi admitted that he had recruited "around 25" men from the Derna area in eastern Libya to fight against coalition troops in Iraq. Some of them, he said, are "today are on the front lines in Adjabiya".

Mr al-Hasidi insisted his fighters "are patriots and good Muslims, not terrorists," but added that the "members of al-Qaeda are also good Muslims and are fighting against the invader".

His revelations came even as Idriss Deby Itno, Chad's president, said al-Qaeda had managed to pillage military arsenals in the Libyan rebel zone and acquired arms, "including surface-to-air missiles, which were then smuggled into their sanctuaries".

[GostHacked]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/24/lawmakers-push-military-involvement-libya-amid-stalemate-fears/

In other words. A ground war will soon be under way.

[Moonlight Graham]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/04/24/lawmakers-push-military-involvement-libya-amid-stalemate-fears/

In other words. A ground war will soon be under way.

That is far from inevitable. These are war hawks calling for the boots, not the majority of Congress (so far), and Obama can ignore them.

Libya is certainly looking like its going to be a long drawn-out affair. Looks like NATO countries didn't anticipate this going in, and now they stuck between a rock and a hand place.

[GostHacked]

That is far from inevitable. These are war hawks calling for the boots, not the majority of Congress (so far), and Obama can ignore them.

Obama ignored the congress anyways when authorizing the UN/NATO No-Fly Zones with the air force. If he wanted to, he could ignore all of congress and throw some ground troops into the mix.

Libya is certainly looking like its going to be a long drawn-out affair. Looks like NATO countries didn't anticipate this going in, and now they stuck between a rock and a hand place.

That is what I am thinking myself. Better off not to have gotten involved.

[Moonlight Graham]

If he wanted to, he could ignore all of congress and throw some ground troops into the mix.

There are already covert troops working inside the country. But of course they wear slippers, not boots right?

[GostHacked]

There are already covert troops working inside the country. But of course they wear slippers, not boots right?

My point was that Obama did not go to the congress to get approval for commiting US forces to the No Fly Zones. Even though the chickenhawks calling for war are in the minority, Obama could still commit troops without congresional approval.

And yes covert operations have been going on for at least a month before the No-Fly Zone was created. British SAS were already caught in Libya weeks before the air strikes. Gaging civilian unrest (most likely encouraging it all while 'painting targets'.) in order to see how easy it would be to bring Gaddafi down through civil war.