Civil War in Libya

[Major Robert Dump]

Defending civilians with airstrikes and missles is a really good way to kill the civilians you are defending. Boots on ground is how you defend civilians. Have we learned nothing of the last 20 years?

[Brenus]

"No regime change" and Kosovo was part of Serbia...

[Shibumi]

Defending civilians with airstrikes and missles is a really good way to kill the civilians you are defending. Boots on ground is how you defend civilians. Have we learned nothing of the last 20 years?

What he said.

Good for the Libyans that they have natural resources, so we in the west care. Well, enough to bomb some at least. Simultaneously same thing and worse goes on in other countries without our press hyping it.

Sad to see so many people who believe themselves to be clever so unquestioning.

[Viking]

Good for the Libyans that they have natural resources, so we in the west care. Well, enough to bomb some at least. Simultaneously same thing and worse goes on in other countries without our press hyping it.

Libya is full of desert sand and tiny bit of oil, not too much to get there. No other country has a situation similar to that in Libya, so those comparisons do not make sense.

Perhaps the situation in Darfur makes some sense to compare to, though one should really study the cases in detail before drawing such conclusions. Regardless, we have no capability to intervene every conflict in this world, go figure.
I suppose you are also one of those 'who believe themselves to be clever', so start questioning your own viewpoint for a second.

---

Meanwhile, the first loss of allied war-machinery has occurred, as a US warplane crash-lands in Libya. Crew said to be fine.

A US warplane has crash-landed in Libya, a US military spokesman says.

The spokesman, Kenneth Fiddler, told the BBC there was no indication the F-15E Eagle had been brought down by hostile fire.

Both crew members ejected safely after what was believed to be a mechanical failure, US officials say.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper says the plane went down near the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. It follows a third night of allied air strikes.

[HoreTore]

Defending civilians with airstrikes and missles is a really good way to kill the civilians you are defending. Boots on ground is how you defend civilians. Have we learned nothing of the last 20 years?

It's what we have learned these last two decades, in afghanistan and in iraq, that makes the civillian populations all over the world fearful of US "boots on ground". The civillian population in Libya wants airstrikes, but they have made it pretty damned clear that they don't want american troops involved on the ground.