The NO FLY ZONE over Libya passes the Security Council

**Gistok** · March-18-11, 12:02 AM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...r-strikes-live

5 members abstain.... Russia, China, Germany, Brazil and India....

10 members pass the No Fly Zone over Libya resolution... USA, Britain, France, Lebanon, Nigeria, Boznia-Herzegovina, Colombia, South Africa, Gabon and Portugal.

The Russians and Chinese helped by not vetoing the bill... the Germans are out of step with the rest of Europe... in their usual pacifist fashion... decrying any military involvement. Usually the French and Germans are united on most issues... this one... not the case.

The Arab League is on board...

Bombing of Libyan airfields and tank columns heading toward Benghazi are likely shortly. Several Arab countries will likely contribute to the air attacks provided mainly by the USA, France and Britain. Italy gives its' OK for airspace flyovers.

**old guy** · March-18-11, 10:39 AM

And the hawks are starting to drool. This is a really slippery slope. People act like this is a video game or something. We'll just send a few planes in, bomb a few airfields and head home. Fast forward to 2018 and hear people asking if we have an exit strategy.

**TKshreve** · March-18-11, 10:50 AM

Usually the French and Germans are united on most issues

Quite a statement.

**canuck** · March-18-11, 08:09 PM

Cant help but think Gadawful deserves a ballistic suppository sometime in the near future.

I watched an interesting news report on Gadhafi's sleak handling of past crises that could have decapitated him earlier. It was a french news program that showed him being allowed back into good graces not long ago. He gave a speech at the UN once where he was supposed to speak for 35 minutes and stayed at the lectern for an hour and a half. At the end of his speech he threw the UN declaration of human rights pamphlet to the ground. Apparently, nobody complained about the gesture. That is the kind of world we live in. Oh! and remember England gave him back the guy responsible for the Lockerbie "incident".

**Whitehouse** · March-19-11, 01:49 PM

Coincidence or not, this afternoon some f-16 fighters took of from Leeuwarden Airbase, close to where I live.

Seems some French planes attacked a vehicle at 17:45 CET.

**Gistok** · March-19-11, 02:37 PM

Whitehouse... there is already an open thread on this....

**Gistok** · March-19-11, 02:40 PM

Canuck... no that was the new [[they now have their own Parliament) more autonomous Scotland.

Some of the newly disenfranchised former Libyan government ambassadors have said the order to bomb came from the top.

**oladub** · March-19-11, 03:37 PM

The Constitution requires an act of Congress to go to war. Congress did not so act. Obama is showering Libya with missiles even though Libya did not attack us and congress has not declared war. Bush would have probably done the same but we called him a hawk and a neocon. China, Russian, and some others will see us as a bully and have one more excuse to spend more money on defense. When we error and kill some innocent civilians, the rest of the population will turn on us. In the end, all these liberated countries may choose leaders less attractive to US interests. This will somehow backfire on us.

**old guy** · March-19-11, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by oladub

In the end, all these liberated countries may choose leaders less attractive to US interests. This will somehow backfire on us.

Gadhafi is bad, but I still haven't heard anything about who the rebels are, what their plan is, or how this might benefit us.

Here comes another money pit we can't afford.

How Washington can jump from debating the fact that we can't sustain life in the U.S. as we know it, to something like this overnight baffles me.

**Whitehouse** · March-19-11, 05:12 PM

Oops.

But you have to hand it to me, "Operation Shitstorm" sounds better than "Odyssey Dawn"...

**Wingnatic** · March-19-11, 06:29 PM

When was the last time China or Russia did anything for anybody ? I don't think they even help with disasters anywhere . This isn't just a U.S. thing , it's a U.N. thing along with the blessings of the Arab League , they don't like Ghadaffi either . He is just plain nuts and I'm betting he wasn't counting on getting at least 110 tomahawk cruise missles [[so far ) shoved up his ass today to take out ICBM sites . The Canadian Air Force now has aircraft almost ready to go . The people of Libya want to control their own destiny and have free elections , apparently many other Nations would like to see their freedom fighters take back their own country [[ does this sound familar ? )

**canuck** · March-20-11, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Canuck... no that was the new [[they now have their own Parliament) more autonomous Scotland.

Some of the newly disenfranchised former Libyan government ambassadors have said the order to bomb came from the top.

Thanks Gistok, you're right about that!

**Ray1936** · March-20-11, 01:24 PM

My gut reaction was.....and continues to be......."Just what we need. Another fucking war."

**barnesfoto** · March-20-11, 02:09 PM

^^^What he said.

**Papasito** · March-21-11, 07:50 AM

The country is out of money, spending is at an all time high, we are still in a recession, we are engaged in 2 wars in the middle east, hey .... here's a great idea from the guy people elected thinking he would pull us out of senseless wars around the world...

Lets shower Libya with Tomohawk Missiles!

**justanotherboy** · March-21-11, 08:33 AM

Obama is no different than King George. Why are we at war with Libya? Did they attack us last week?

**Gistok** · March-21-11, 12:12 PM

I don't see all the fuss... this time the French were at the fore in starting this.... they were against the war in Iraq... who knows... maybe they are smarter than we are?? [[Sometimes it appears that way!)

No one is planning any ground offensive. And I'm sure that we've got enough Tomahawk Missiles to flatten Libya... so we and the Brits have a few to spare.

It seems that the French and British were the ones that instigated this one... Obama was not leading the charge... so some of you out to stop looking at this without your anti-Obama rhetoric... at least give it a rest this once...

... at least stopping the slaughter is a better reason to get involved that looking for "so called" weapons...

... and contrary to some peoples complaints... Obama has pulled us out of one senseless war...

**Mikeg** · March-21-11, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

I don't see all the fuss... this time the French were at the fore in starting this.... they were against the war in Iraq... who knows... maybe they are smarter than we are?? [[Sometimes it appears that way!)

No one is planning any ground offensive. And I'm sure that we've got enough Tomahawk Missiles to flatten Libya... so we and the Brits have a few to spare.

It seems that the French and British were the ones that instigated this one... Obama was not leading the charge... so some of you out to stop looking at this without your anti-Obama rhetoric... at least give it a rest this once...

... at least stopping the slaughter is a better reason to get involved that looking for "so called" weapons...

... and contrary to some peoples complaints... Obama has pulled us out of one senseless war...

Don't see all the fuss?

The French were ready to take action a week before Obama finally came around and in the meantime, hundreds of rebels died.

While I heard Obama state a clearly-defined mission for our military, I don't see it happening, do you? They were supposed to be strictly tasked with the creation and enforcement of a "no-fly zone", yet the road to Benghazi was littered Sunday with the smoking ruins of an armored ground column.

I also haven't heard a defined exit strategy. We've been told that the objective is not regime change, it's to protect the rebels. What if the dictatorship is finally toppled and fighting continues among opposing rebel groups? How long is this military comittment going to last?

**old guy** · March-21-11, 12:45 PM

Here's one of the problems I have.

1 Tomahawk Cruise Missile = $569,000.00 Source: U.S. Navy
110 missiles = $62 million.

And we generally go in after the fact and rebuild the infrastructure after we bomb it.
But we're broke and in debt.

Hmm... I wonder what kind of mileage air craft carriers and destroyers get.

lincoln8740 · March-22-11, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by oladub

The Constitution requires an act of Congress to go to war. Congress did not so act. Obama is showering Libya with missiles even though Libya did not attack us and congress has not declared war. Bush would have probably done the same but we called him a hawk and a neocon. .

Don't forget "Bush is a war criminal" or "Bush is the real terrorist!" Let's see if the left wing wackos are consistent with their opinions with regards to Obama.

.Plus one for ralph nader---he thinks if bush should have faced war crimes than obama should face war crimes. He is a left wing wacko but hey at least he is a consistent left wing wacko

GUSHI · March-22-11, 07:58 PM

Its a middle east problem should of let them deal with it!!!!!!!!!!!

**Mikeg** · March-22-11, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by GUSHI

Its a middle east problem should of let them deal with it!!!!!!!!!!!

Obama says that the Arab League is part of his coalition yet it appears that they have already gotten cold feet.

Whether any of the Arab League member will actually contribute anything remains to be seen - Qatar sent some fighter jets but they only got as far as Crete and it looks like the rest of the Arab League members still need to be coaxed into participating.

So far Obama's coalition appears to only consist of the US, French and British and there is no clear leadership of this cluster-fuck.

It's not a "Middle East problem", it's now Obama's problem.

**Gistok** · March-22-11, 10:02 PM

"The coalition has not yet decided what form the new command structure will take. French officials said on Monday the Arab League does not want NATO to assume command of the operation. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested it could be a joint British-French lead.
Still, U.S. officials believe the U.S.-led portion of Operation Odyssey Dawn will not be prolonged.
“We expect that to happen in a matter of days, not weeks,” Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said Monday."

What part of this is difficult for some of you to comprehend.??

**ejames01** · March-22-11, 11:40 PM

Obama is a war criminal and Obama is the real terrorist!

Originally Posted by lincoln8740

Don't forget "Bush is a war criminal" or "Bush is the real terrorist!" Let's see if the left wing wackos are consistent with their opinions with regards to Obama.

.Plus one for ralph nader---he thinks if bush should have faced war crimes than obama should face war crimes. He is a left wing wacko but hey at least he is a consistent left wing wacko