[NGTM-1R]

We're up to full-scale civil war now, as the first government offensive against a rebel-held area has been thrown back.

[achtung]

I'm waiting for the West to, at the very least, provide weapons to the rebels. I know Russia and China seem to oppose the no-fly zone. I guess they fear a loss of influence or something?

[NGTM-1R]

I'm seeing a few reports that the rebels have openly requested either airstrikes or a no fly zone, but...

[Bobboau]

yeah, they have flat out asked us to bomb Gaddafi, China will not allow this, they already have some uprisings in their own country due to what has been happening in the mideast, if anything china would want to bomb the rebels to show their people what happens when you start getting uppity. and unlike Iraq we aren't in an irrational pissed state to go and do it anyway. we might end up arming the rebels though, but that is a long shot.

[Black Wolf]

Why do they need UN Security Council approval to enforce the No Fly Zone? Forget Russia and China and get your international legitimacy from NATO - that's what it's supposedly for in the post-cold-war era, right?

[Dilmah G]

I'm seeing a few reports that the rebels have openly requested either airstrikes or a no fly zone, but...

Cue *****ing by the RAF boys about how they would have been able to do something about that if they hadn't been cut to the bone. 

I personally think it should be a global obligation to provide a no-fly zone, so no one comes in and nothing comes out. But the current global financial state and the repercussions of things going wrong are probably too great to let that happen, as has been said.

Also, what's this about China and Russia opposing the no fly zone?

[headdie]

Why do they need UN Security Council approval to enforce the No Fly Zone? Forget Russia and China and get your international legitimacy from NATO - that's what it's supposedly for in the post-cold-war era, right?

the problem is Libya is not a NATO country which puts issue like this squarely in the UN's jurisdictional. NATO is still a defense alliance of member countries.

It has the military cappacity needed to undertake crisis management operations.  these are carried out under artical 5 of the washington treaty and/or under a UN mandate.

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.
Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security .

Libya is a civil war and thus a national issue which all the armed conflict has remained within the countries own boarders meaning only the UN has the authority to invoke military action via a mandate and only then if UN legislation regarding things like human rights is suspected to or has been broken and that breach is acknowledged by the security council.

[Black Wolf]

the problem is Libya is not a NATO country which puts issue like this squarely in the UN's jurisdictional. NATO is still a defense alliance of member countries.

Libya is a civil war and thus a national issue which all the armed conflict has remained within the countries own boarders meaning only the UN has the authority to invoke military action via a mandate and only then if UN legislation regarding things like human rights is suspected to or has been broken and that breach is acknowledged by the security council.

None of that stopped them in the past.

[headdie]

Its amazing what you can get away with when the words like genocide and ethnic cleansing are used

[Dilmah G]

You Dutch are rather brave.

[Bobboau]

Maybe we should pay an intern to give Obama a blow job...

[achtung]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8358645/Libya-Hugo-Chavez-peace-plan-under-consideration.html

This makes things a little more iteresting I think.

[Mongoose]

Great, a psycho trying to broker peace with another psycho.  Just what the world needs.

[Sushi]

Great, a psycho trying to broker peace with another psycho.  Just what the world needs.

Chavez comes across like this:

[headdie]

who better to understand the mind of a bored cold war era dictator

[NGTM-1R]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8358645/Libya-Hugo-Chavez-peace-plan-under-consideration.html

This makes things a little more iteresting I think.

I doubt Chavez will offer anything that the rebels will accept, being a demonstrated autocrat himself.

[Sololop]

You Dutch are rather brave.

I sure hope those soldiers get out alright...

[achtung]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8364997/Libya-could-split-says-Liam-Fox-as-regime-hits-rebels-hard.html
Why isn't the west doing anything?

[General Battuta]

"I felt like I had no weapon," said Jamal el-Goradi, a Libyan who worked in a doughnut shop in Denver, Colorado until he flew home to join the uprising late last month.

what a bamf

[Sushi]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8364997/Libya-could-split-says-Liam-Fox-as-regime-hits-rebels-hard.html
Why isn't the west doing anything?

Rare outbreak of common sense?

Yeah, I doubt that too.