MSNBC.com - "a military campaign to drive Moammar Gadhafi from power. "

[IDemo]

Anybody else seen this wording to describe the intent of today's activities? CNN and WaPo don't mention regime change in their current headline stories, and I don't believe it was the stated intent of the UN resolution. Any other media outlets using a regime change theme that you've seen?

note - I wouldn't see it as a negative if the lunatic were deposed, I just don't think a "no-fly zone" operation should become boots on the ground. But I'm naïve that way, I guess..

[arcane1]

1. Oops, I thought you were talking about tv

"A coalition of American and European forces bombed Libyan targets by air and sea Saturday in the first phase of a military campaign to drive Moammar Gadhafi from power"


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42164455/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

[IDemo]

2. That was where my quote came from

I don't have cable or satellite so I haven't seen what the talking heads are saying.

[arcane1]

3. Same here

something for which I'm usually grateful :)

[kenny blankenship]

4. If it isn't that, then we really had better not do it at all.

One of my fears is that this intervention is too late. The other fear I have is that certain leaders, who are notorious already for their embrace of half-measures, will think you can do good by half-assing a war. I'm all in favor of putting hard limits on what we will do or will risk to rid the Libyan people of Mu/o/amm/a/e/o/r Kh/G/Q/addaf(f)i/y, and all of his cognates, but I sincerely hope we will have as our goal -from the outset- a swift decisive outcome to the fighting with No-More Moo-Am-Mor at the end of it.

Accepting temporary stalemates will invite a steady escalation of force and viciousness on all sides, and will just prolong and deepen the agony. Hit it hard or leave it the fuck alone! If you aren't willing to destroy the assets of Col. Botox in one sustained wave of air attacks, such that the rebels can basically walk into Tripoli, then you better leave it the fuck alone. If you hit it as hard as you dared, but it didn't work- then chalk it up as the will of Allah that the rebellion should fail. Be prepared to stick to your limit before you fucking start anything.

But if you have as your goal some "interim" solution in which you bomb to keep "the sides separated" and you have no definite outcome, or timeline in mind, then you are risking the lives of good people for nothing, and you should drop the plan and resign.

[IDemo]

5. While I can agree with you on the ineffectiveness of half-measures,

that seems to be what the UN resolution (text here) is limited to doing. If the US decides to take it upon itself to pursue the killing (or even the capture) of Cut-Off-He, they've escalated the situation unilaterally. The only part of the resolution I see that might eventually justify going after him directly is this, which would make it a criminal matter for the ICC to act upon:

refer the situation in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya since 15 February 2011 to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and stressing that those responsible for or complicit in attacks targeting the civilian population, including aerial and naval attacks, must be held to account,

[undeterred]

6. Why don't they just go pick him up if that's the purpose?

It can't be that hard to track down a guy who sleeps in tents and travels with camels.

[bobbolink]

8. ohmy.........

I guess you didn't hear about the cement.

[The_Casual_Observer]

7. You figure that there is some other intent with these cruse missiles?

[IDemo]

9. The intent stated in UN Resolution 1973 was to strike military targets

Including any that might be used against rebel strongholds. Also targeting aircraft, anti-aircraft positions and any other support installations which may be used against jets used to enforce the "no-fly" zone.

There is nothing in the resolution calling for the killing or capture of Ghadafi. Whether the US decides to redefine the mission to suit its own goals is another question. Not at all surprising if they do.

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sc10200.doc.htm#Resolution