Civil War in Libya

[rory_20_uk]

Oh sure, technically we can. But since we have invested in this thing and we would like the episode to turn out well, we are going to be around for quite a while. Libya shouldn't become a new hotbed for al-Qaeda or a new Somalia now should it? That's in no one's interest.

The biggest problems at the moment are probably Iran, North Korea, Pakistan and Syria. We are doing nothing in any of those (a few drone strikes in Pakistan does not really count). There is already Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan for insurgents. How much room does a training camp need? Almost none. The only difference in Libya is it's slightly closer, and the majority of attacks have been against overseas assets rather than homeland as they are a lot easier to do.

If assistance is passing along some intel, giving advice on setting up governments and trading then fine - we gain a lot for a little. If it's garrisoning the place then no thanks - we tie up resources that are already stretched and are even less able to counter the next threat.

Libya's sovereign wealth fund is something like $65 Billion. That should keep them going for a while. After they've spent all of that then... they can sell their oil.

[Adrian II]

If it's garrisoning the place then no thanks

Good God, no. I totally agree. I meant that other forms of intervention or assistance may be necessary in our interest as well as Libya's.

AII

[HoreTore]

Every freedom movement has a chance of turning into despotism.

Ho Chi Minh started his career by reading the US declaration of independence as the foundation of his beliefs. Mao lived among his followers in the early years in a truly classless and free society, never asking for any special treatment or honour.

Both of those movements changed dramatically in a different way, and nobody could've predicted it at the time.

But to say that we should never support opposition groups because they can turn into something as bad as the current regime is wrong. It was right to support the democratic opposition in the USSR even though we now have Putin and Belarus, because we also have a free and working Poland and the Czech republic. We havd a chance of failure every time a human rights activist is supported, true, but also have a chance of success.

And it is my firm belief that we should support every one of them, at any time and any place.


A dictator is never good.