Obama needs to publicly tell Gaddafi to go.

[LibocalypseNow]

Can't happen. They're good friends.

 

[JimH52]

Can't happen. They're good friends.

I am not talking about Cheney and Mubarak...

 

[jckryan]

If intel (CiA, MI-6, etc.) has people on the ground, they better confirm if there are any chemical weapons and where they are. Because Quackdafy is like an EXTREMELY unstable and delusional injured badger thats been cornered. If we can't secure the chemical weapons soon, then we seriouusly have to back off on the pressure. Just put drones, the Med fleet, and maybe HAZMAT/NBC teams on stand by.
We can thank the Frogs (French) if we find any and French Intel better tell us . . . no matter how *#%?!ing embarrassing it may be to them.

 

[California Girl]

Gaddafi is looking for an excuse to squash the protests. Obama openly supporting them would give him that excuse

Looking for an excuse?

I think you'll find he's actually trying quite hard to 'squash the protests' without any thought to what the rest of the world thinks.

Seriously, are you capable of reading basic news coverage?

BBC News - Libya protests: Gaddafi battles to control west

^^^^ Seems he's already found whatever 'excuse' he needed.

 

[rightwinger]

Gaddafi is looking for an excuse to squash the protests. Obama openly supporting them would give him that excuse

Looking for an excuse?

I think you'll find he's actually trying quite hard to 'squash the protests' without any thought to what the rest of the world thinks.

Seriously, are you capable of reading basic news coverage?

BBC News - Libya protests: Gaddafi battles to control west

^^^^ Seems he's already found whatever 'excuse' he needed.

Yes...I have also read that the Libyan military is reluctant to attack its own citizens. paint the protests as open American intervention and that reluctance goes away

 

[California Girl]

Gaddafi is looking for an excuse to squash the protests. Obama openly supporting them would give him that excuse

Looking for an excuse?

I think you'll find he's actually trying quite hard to 'squash the protests' without any thought to what the rest of the world thinks.

Seriously, are you capable of reading basic news coverage?

BBC News - Libya protests: Gaddafi battles to control west

^^^^ Seems he's already found whatever 'excuse' he needed.

Yes...I have also read that the Libyan military is reluctant to attack its own citizens. paint the protests as open American intervention and that reluctance goes away

Giddaffi is already playing the 'American' card, as well as claiming it's AQ, and pretty much anyone else he can think of.... He even bitched that "Queen Elizabeth has been in power longer than him". The man is a whackjob.

 

[jckryan]

If intel (CiA, MI-6, etc.) has people on the ground, they better confirm if there are any chemical weapons and where they are. Because Quackdafy is like an EXTREMELY unstable and delusional injured badger thats been cornered. If we can't secure the chemical weapons soon, then we seriouusly have to back off on the pressure. Just put drones, the Med fleet, and maybe HAZMAT/NBC teams on stand by.
We can thank the Frogs (French) if we find any and French Intel better tell us . . . no matter how *#%?!ing embarrassing it may be to them.

Starting to wonder if the reason why we have'nt pulled the trigger on the 'no-fly' zone with the U.N. is because French Intel confirms that the Frogs DID sell chemical weapons to Quackdafy in the past. If we took away his air support and importing hired-guns, then he may get desperate. Hope not.

 

[skeptic]

Get Americans the Hell out of there and let the people have at it. I'd say Gaddafi has lost it, but I'm not sure he ever had anything to lose anyway. Those Libyan protesters aren't messing with Mubarak, Mubarak was a tad overly strict and pretty out of touch, Gaddafi is an absolute total nutcase with no traces of sanity left.

Gaddafi isn't as nutz as Hitler was and Hitler was actually among the world's best political strategists. Which means that Gaddafi may be a lot more dangerous and capable within his country than we realize yet.

Don't under estimate him just because he is nutz. He may defeat the opposition.

So far the score is Gaddafi 42, Libya 0.

 

[Samson]

Let Europe worry about Libya. Last time I checked, Europe is alot closer to Libya than we are. It's about time Europeans got off their overly judgemental lazy duffs. Afterall, its' European countries who stand to have to absorb alot of future mid-eastern immigrants as a result of recent/on-going events.

The last time the Europeans worried about Libya, the Libyians kicked their ass.

 

[Samson]

Looking for an excuse?

I think you'll find he's actually trying quite hard to 'squash the protests' without any thought to what the rest of the world thinks.

Seriously, are you capable of reading basic news coverage?

BBC News - Libya protests: Gaddafi battles to control west

^^^^ Seems he's already found whatever 'excuse' he needed.

Yes...I have also read that the Libyan military is reluctant to attack its own citizens. paint the protests as open American intervention and that reluctance goes away

Giddaffi is already playing the 'American' card, as well as claiming it's AQ, and pretty much anyone else he can think of.... He even bitched that "Queen Elizabeth has been in power longer than him". The man is a whackjob.

Indeed, I'm astonished he hasn't claimed that the USSR is behind the rebellion....

....but if he did I'm sure there would be some Ultra-Cons ready to go to DEFCON-4.

 

[jckryan]

Let Europe worry about Libya. Last time I checked, Europe is alot closer to Libya than we are. It's about time Europeans got off their overly judgemental lazy duffs. Afterall, its' European countries who stand to have to absorb alot of future mid-eastern immigrants as a result of recent/on-going events.

The last time the Europeans worried about Libya, the Libyians kicked their ass.

If the Euros don't get up off their collective *sses by taking point on this and the resistance asks us and we do sucessfully take Quackdafy out. . . guess who loses their oil?

 

[Samson]

Let Europe worry about Libya. Last time I checked, Europe is alot closer to Libya than we are. It's about time Europeans got off their overly judgemental lazy duffs. Afterall, its' European countries who stand to have to absorb alot of future mid-eastern immigrants as a result of recent/on-going events.

The last time the Europeans worried about Libya, the Libyians kicked their ass.

If the Euros don't get up off their collective *sses by taking point on this and the resistance asks us and we do sucessfully take Quackdafy out. . . guess who loses their oil?

No one will "Lose their oil."

 

[jckryan]

The last time the Europeans worried about Libya, the Libyians kicked their ass.

If the Euros don't get up off their collective *sses by taking point on this and the resistance asks us and we do sucessfully take Quackdafy out. . . guess who loses their oil?

No one will "Lose their oil."

Then none of the European nations purchase their oil from Libya? Okay, I stand corrected. I thought because of their proximity to Libya and France's ties . . .

Then heck, since our military resources are already stretched thin and Europe is not willing to step in . . . and if we successfully spearhead Quackdafy's departture . . . I guess that means we got dibs on the oil contracts. After all, why should the U.S. put our military at risk to protect other nations interests when those nations are more than capable of protecting their own?

 

[Samson]

If the Euros don't get up off their collective *sses by taking point on this and the resistance asks us and we do sucessfully take Quackdafy out. . . guess who loses their oil?

No one will "Lose their oil."

Then none of the European nations purchase their oil from Libya? Okay, I stand corrected. I thought because of their proximity to Libya and France's ties . . .

Then heck, since our military resources are already stretched thin and Europe is not willing to step in . . . and if we successfully spearhead Quackdafy's departture . . . I guess that means we got dibs on the oil contracts. After all, why should the U.S. put our military at risk to protect other nations interests when those nations are more than capable of protecting their own?

You meant Italy's ties to Libya (Algeria was a French possession).

At any rate, it really doesn't matter: Anyone can buy oil from Indonesia, Venezuela, or Norway, or Russia, and sell it to an Italian refiner.

The entire planet is the Oil Market. Not having Libya as a supplier is a problem akin to the WeinerDog closing at the food court in your local mall and not being able to find a place to eat lunch.

 

[docmauser1]

If the Euros don't get up off their collective *sses by taking point on this and the resistance asks us and we do sucessfully take Quackdafy out. . . guess who loses their oil?

They don't want "us" in this tribal/clan "quest" for bigger shares of the pie and they - whoever they are, or will be - will like to sell oil too, unless "we" want an excuse to throw a grenade into the fire.

 

[jckryan]

No one will "Lose their oil."

Then none of the European nations purchase their oil from Libya? Okay, I stand corrected. I thought because of their proximity to Libya and France's ties . . .

Then heck, since our military resources are already stretched thin and Europe is not willing to step in . . . and if we successfully spearhead Quackdafy's departture . . . I guess that means we got dibs on the oil contracts. After all, why should the U.S. put our military at risk to protect other nations interests when those nations are more than capable of protecting their own?

You meant Italy's ties to Libya (Algeria was a French possession).

At any rate, it really doesn't matter: Anyone can buy oil from Indonesia, Venezuela, or Norway, or Russia, and sell it to an Italian refiner.

The entire planet is the Oil Market. Not having Libya as a supplier is a problem akin to the WeinerDog closing at the food court in your local mall and not being able to find a place to eat lunch.

Uh, actually no. I meant France . . . we are not talking possession or territory here.

Here is an account of how and why twenty million Muslims were imported into Europe, and to what effect.

The information is condensed from Eurabia: The Euro-Arab Axis by Bat Ye’or. (The wording is largely hers, with some added notes and comments of my own – JB.)

1969 France sells 110 Mirage jets to new Libyan dictator, Muammar Qaddafi. Explores with him the concept of a Euro-Arab dialogue. Becomes in the following years a major supplier of arms to many Arab states.

1973 May: London. Conference of Islamic Cultural Centers. Islamic leaders decide to create, fund and support cultural centres in Europe as ‘a great need was felt [in Europe] for the tenets of Islam’ and such centres would help Muslim communities in Europe play this role [of teaching the tenets of Islam] effectively and fruitfully.’ The Conference also ‘decided to establish the Islamic Council of Europe to serve as an organ of co-ordination among all Islamic institutions and centres.’ It was to ‘propagate the true teachings of Islam throughout Europe.’ Thus there was to be a ‘stepping up of the activities of the Islamic Da’awa [proselytism]’. To this end, an International Islamic News Agency was to be established, also a Jihad Fund open to subscription ‘with no restrictions’.

The ‘rights’ of immigrants to preserve their beliefs, traditions and national cultures were to be guaranteed by the Europeans. Facilities for the teaching of Arabic were to be ‘improved’. The establishment of a Euro-Arab University was proposed (and initial steps to do so were taken in subsequent years including the founding of the Euro-Arab Business Management School in Granada in 1994).

October 16-17: Kuwait. Mortified by the defeat of Egypt, Syria and Jordan in their war against Israel, the Arab oil-producing countries meet and decide to quadruple the price of oil and to reduce their production of crude oil by 5% each month until Israel withdraws from the territories those three countries lost to Israel in 1967 and failed to recover in 1973. Impose an oil embargo on the US, Denmark, the Netherlands as states friendly to Israel. Sheikh Yamani of Saudi Arabia threatens that the oil states could ‘reduce production by 80%’ and asks the West ‘How could you survive with that?’ In response the US stands firm, France and Germany panic.

November 6: Brussels. Meeting of the EEC nine members. Ignoring objections from Washington, the meeting insists on starting an appeasing approach to the Arab oil states. They issue a joint Resolution based on their dependence on Arab oil, in which they pledge themselves to support the Arabs diplomatically in their conflict with Israel. This was sufficient to induce the Arab states to increase oil supplies and ‘open a dialogue’ (as already conceived in discussions between France and Libya). Thus began a Euro-Arab political solidarity pact that was hostile not only to Israel but also to America.

November 26-27: Georges Pompidou, President of France, and Willy Brandt, Chancellor of West Germany meet. Reaffirm intention to ‘engage in a dialogue with the Arabs’.

December 15: Copenhagen. An EEC summit, called by President Pompidou of France, considers the planning for co-operation between the EEC countries and the Arab League. Four Arab foreign ministers, delegated by the Algiers Arab summit, are invited to monitor the project. They suggest various strategies in the context of the conditions that the Arab states place on any accord with the EEC.

Note: All this was desperately desired by the Arab states, and the provision of it could have been used by Europe as a counter-lever to the oil blackmail which the Arabs had brought to bear on Europe. Furthermore, the Arab oil states needed to sell their oil to Europe, and needed to invest in a thriving European economy. The European governments could have dictated terms. But the EEC, under insistent French leadership, preferred to appease rather than negotiate. The motivation for France was not only commercial. It was a desire to re-acquire a large sphere of influence in the Arab world, in pursuit of an intense ambition to achieve super-power status and so to rival the United States.

July 31: Paris. The first official meeting at ministerial level between the Europeans and the Arabs to discuss the organization of the Dialogue. An institutionalized structure is created to harmonize and unify the trade and co-operation policies of each of the EEC countries with the member states of the Arab League.

2003: In this year the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) reports to the European Commission that the economic outlook for Europe is gloomy but would be brightened if there were to be increased Arab immigration.

Jillian Becker February 11, 2010

Now, I took the liberty of condensing the article for this post and Italy was rarely mentioned if at all (I can give you the link if ya want).

I'm sure France and the EU can buy their oil from any of the countries you mentioned. But why? Libya is a stones throw away from the EU. If the U.S. military is asked by the rebels to spearhead at least a no-fly zone because Quackdafy goes more ballistic on the air assaults, I'm sure any oil contracts will be awarded to those who made an impact in assisting.
Should that happen, the EU will have to go farther to import their oil and most likely pay a bit more because of the increased demand. Because those exporters know the EU oil supply from across the Med will be cut by a good percentage.

 

[JimH52]

All I know is that the economic recovery, which saw a real boost with the the jobs numbers, could be derailed very quickly by an artificial increase in oil prices. There is no need for it. There is no shortage. There is only a threat of a possible shortage. The speculators are having a ball with the Libyan crisis. They are pushing the oil prices to heights we have not seen in years.

As long as there is a crisis in the ME, they will continue to push the prices up.

 

[Samson]

Now, I took the liberty of condensing the article for this post and Italy was rarely mentioned if at all (I can give you the link if ya want).

I'm sure France and the EU can buy their oil from any of the countries you mentioned. But why? Libya is a stones throw away from the EU. If the U.S. military is asked by the rebels to spearhead at least a no-fly zone because Quackdafy goes more ballistic on the air assaults, I'm sure any oil contracts will be awarded to those who made an impact in assisting.
Should that happen, the EU will have to go farther to import their oil and most likely pay a bit more because of the increased demand. Because those exporters know the EU oil supply from across the Med will be cut by a good percentage.

Since the you've quoted ad neauseum, an article that isn't about Italian oil imports from Libya, I'm not surprised it wasn't mentioned. Italy is the major consumer of Libyan oil. But, as I've already pointed out, and you've agreed with, there are other sources of oil.

Other than to give you some hyperbolic excuse to note that France is in Europe, and the EC knows that North Africa exists, its not clear what sales of French planes to Libya has anything to do with this thread.

However, returning to my analogy of the Food Court at the Mall, what you are proposing as a possible scenario is as proposerously absurd as suggesting that we vandalize the WeinerDog for closing down instead of simply buying lunch at the Panda Express.

 

[Charles_Main]

He needs to show his support for the protesters and tell this guy to go. Enough of the silence!

That would go against everything he said before.

He has spent the last 2 Years going around saying the US is not going to dictate to other countries anymore, and how sorry he is for all the bad deeds we have perpetrated on the poor world.

 

[Trajan]

the brits say they have a crack battalion ready to go. how they'll get there is anyone's guess.