Reply #20: This, after saying "...Col. Gaddafi needs to step down from power and leave."

[PurityOfEssence]

He even said that he wanted to be clear about it.

Once a despot KNOWS that the intent is to have him removed from power, what's the leverage from focused and limited action? He knows they're not going to let him remain in control.

Is our President completely unaware of how unscrupulous people work? There's plenty of evidence that he does, and Qaddafi's as simple a thug as they come.

The very idea that people are surprised that he's not readily complying is astonishing: the stated intent has at least at some point recently been to REMOVE HIM FROM POWER. What impetus does he have for negotiation or mitigation? His course is clear: crush his rebellion before it can be buttressed from abroad.

What truly disturbs me is the stunning naivete of our approach. The fact that our outrage is very selectively vented on those who aren't our allies is also something that won't escape notice from the rest of the world.

Disgusting as it sounds, this is a time for decisive and unambiguous action, and it's something we seem thoroughly incapable of at the moment. The situation is abundantly clear to Qaddafi, though.