NATO will have to intervenePosted Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at 9:08 AM
If you've ever wondered how good our military is, all you have to do is look at the operations in Libya.
When U.S. forces were involved, we were able to make precision strikes on Kadaffi's forces, even when they were in the suburbs of cities, without hitting civilians. We could do it day and night, regardless of weather. As the rebel forces are learning, the rest of NATO, which now conducts the UN-authorized operations, doesn't have that capability. The technology and training just isn't there. Nobody else has A-10s and AC-130 "Spectre" gunships, or the targeting capabilities and precision ordnance of our F-16 and F-15 aircraft. Civilian and rebel "friendly fire" casualties have occurred since the U.S. ended its share of the operations, and some weather conditions that wouldn't have stopped U.S. forces have halted NATO. We're glad we're no longer directly involved there, but without us, the force multiplier for the rebel forces isn't as great. In the long run, the rebels are going to need more than they've been getting, which is why our withdrawal from direct involvement is a good thing. To win the civil war they're going to, eventually, need some limited ground forces from NATO or (preferably) the Arab states. This civil war can't be allowed to drag on forever, and Kadaffi can't be allowed to remain in power. The longer he's allowed to stay, the higher the risks of him returning to his old ways and sponsoring terrorist attacks against the western powers that have worked against him. NATO and the Arab states need to move beyond the UN mandate and push him out of power soon. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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The Saudis will have soon BETTER capabilities than WE have, as we sell them the latest F-15SE versions, that are BETTER updated than ours!
Maybe they'll even bring some WITH them when they TRAIN HERE in MOUNTAIN HOME-----------whether anybody likes it or not!
You might be glad "we are no longer directly involved" in Libya...........but how did we get there in the FIRST PLACE?
WHO in CONGRESS gave your President the "OK" for that?
He went through the U.N. and the ARAB LEAGUE!
What's the deal? We working for THEM now?
Are we saluting THEIR flags now?
Joe Biden threathened in 2007 to lead an impeachment against ANY PRESIDENT who attacked a foreign country UNPROVOKED without FIRST going through CONGRESS.............Biden HIMSELF said that.
Where is HE now?.................still ASLEEP?
These people over there are never going to fight their own battles on their own, as long as they can keep SUCKING US INTO IT!
Hopefully in 2012, a candidate will emerge who is SMART ENOUGH to see the U.N. as what it IS, and if elected, will get us OUT!.......and then boot the U.N. off of our shores, right along with the illegals, and anybody ELSE who has no business being here.
Unfortunately, it takes more than a can of Raid to get rid of the vermin who don't belong here.
We could cut all politicians salaries and tell them that not only do they need to raise money for their campaigns, but find sponsors for their livelihood too.
Oh Wait, I forgot, they already have sponsors, they are called lobbyists. So in essence they are double dipping.
And that falls DIRECTLY on the character of the politicians.
A lobbyist cannot EXIST if a politician isn't a willing player.
I fully concur with this blog posting. Absolutely, NATO and Arab League must now be completely on board in a unified goal in respects to the blown out of control Libyan crisis - regardless of the politics, of what should have been done differently from the first move.
The African Union must be part of this unified effort now too, as a pragmatic force combined with a necessary robust, collective effort to end the crisis.
In regards to the best optimal airpower asset which could be currently employed in support of enforcing a 'no-tank, no-artillery' zone mission... well it would actually not be F-15 or F-16, or Rafale. In all irony, it would be from the 4-5 hr unrefueled endurance of Super Tucano flown off modified LHD (if the USMC had this capability already in place to supplement the mission)! Yes, such Super Tucano, perhaps patrolling at 22k-24k feet in packs of 6-8 aircraft, 24-7, would most cost-effectively counter the very hostile ground assault units which prolong this crisis.
Respects to Libya in this terrible crisis and for reconciliation soon. May all sides be humbled. God have mercy on us all.
It's all "Bush's fault."
Sounds like a goat rope.
He also told the Boston Globe in 2007 that striking some other country to BEGIN with, without congressional approval was "unconstitutional", and Biden backed him up with threat of impeachment of any president who DID.
Of course, BUSH was on the hotseat THEN.......but it's "double standards" now.