Rumors about US military intervention in Libya

[Munin]

I ve red in the newspaper today that their will be a possible military intervention from the US to drive Kadhaffi from power, is this a credible possibility?

 

[LogicMoose]

Anything is possible.
We've probably got some sort of black ops over there already.
I wouldn't hold your breath though.

 

[Wry Catcher]

I think not. Bush used up our ability to move troops to another theatre of war.

 

[Sheldon]

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Tuesday he was dispatching two warships and 400 Marines as a humanitarian response to the crisis in Libya, but he cautioned that U.S. military intervention should be carefully considered.

"The kinds of options that have been talked about in the press and elsewhere also have their own consequences," Gates said on Tuesday, referring to calls for a no-fly zone and other possible steps to halt attacks by Moammar Kadafi's forces on rebels. "They need to be considered very carefully."

Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said at a Pentagon news briefing that the Defense Department was examining a wide range of military options but said no decision had been made on executing any of them.

Robert Gates on Libya: U.S. sending Navy ships, Marines for humanitarian efforts in Libya - latimes.com

 

[waltky]

Granny thinks he's a nutjob...

US Threatens No-Fly Zone Against 'Crazy' Gadhafi
Mar 1, 2011 - Libya's embattled but tenacious dictator, Col. Moammar Gadhafi, is "crazy" and the country could be on the brink of civil war, U.S. officials said today as plans to enact a no-fly zone gained more support.

Even an official at the Kremlin, which has $2 billion of defense contracts with Libya, weighed in today, calling Gadhafi a "living political corpse" who should step down, Reuters reported. Despite some claims late Monday that opposition forces were losing momentum and faith, the protesters told reporters today that they had successfully repelled pro-Gadhafi forces and reclaimed the strategic town of Zawiyah, just 20 miles outside Tripoli, The Guardian said. "He's really not in control," Robert Rabil, an expert on Middle East studies at Florida Atlantic University, told AOL News today.

"He's using his air force men and mercenaries. He's in the capital trying to create a civil war, but believe me the U.S. and international community are going to take action. Don't forget, when they created a no-fly zone in Iraq is why Saddam Hussein lost northern Iraq." Still 4,000 well-armed pro-Gadhafi troops stand between them and Tripoli, Al-Jazeera reported. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton minced no words today about the rapidly worsening crisis in Libya, where oil fields are increasingly vulnerable and floods of refugees into neighboring countries threaten to become a humanitarian disaster.

"In the years ahead, Libya could become a peaceful democracy, or it could face protracted civil war and descend into chaos," Clinton told congressional lawmakers. "The stakes are high." The U.N. High Commission on Refugees says more than 110,000 people, mainly foreign migrants, have fled Libya to neighboring countries and thousands more are arriving at the borders, The Associated Press reported.

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Gadhafi Expert Warns Libyan Leader Will Fight 'Until the End'
Mar 1, 2011 - -- The violence in Libya is worse than reported and Moammar Gadhafi will battle the opposition to the bitter end, says a native Libyan and Jewish activist who has met the dictator several times.

"Don't underestimate Gadhafi; he will keep fighting until the end," said Raphael Luzon, the head of the London-based Association of Libyan Jews. Luzon, who was born in Benghazi and remains in close touch with opposition leaders in Libya, told AOL News in a telephone interview that the bloodshed is much worse than has been reported and the death toll has already reached thousands. "Gadhafi remains strong in Tripoli, and each of his sons is also very strong," he said. "Everyone is now waiting for the next big assault, and we can expect a lot of bloodshed."

Luzon, a longtime journalist, said he did not believe that Gadhafi, whom he has met personally several times, would ever leave Libya the way Hosni Mubarak left Egypt. "He is a Bedouin, born in the desert, and the idea of honor is very important," he said. "Although some of his sons would like to leave the country and live the good life somewhere else, Gadhafi will either be killed fighting or commit suicide. He won't leave." According to Luzon's contacts in Benghazi and Tripoli, many areas have experienced shortages of food and medicine in the past 48 hours. His comments came as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said that the U.S. will maintain political and economic pressure on Gadhafi until he steps down.

Speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," Rice said it was premature to talk about giving the Libyan rebels support, saying there isn't any clear-cut unified opposition yet. Luzon agreed, saying that almost 75 percent of the Libyan population is younger than 40, and that they do not know any ruler other than Gadhafi, who has been in power for 41 years. But Luzon said he believes that a liberal, democratic opposition will emerge. "Most Libyans are very secular like Tunisians and Moroccans," he told AOL News. "They like the good life. I don't think we will see a religious opposition there."

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[Big Black Dog]

Everytime the leader of some 3rd world country farts, there is rumor that the US military is on the way. Personally, I'd like to see the US sit this one out. No aid, no troops, nothing. There are other countries in the world that can move in if they wish. You know when this is all over with there will be a new dictator for Libya. Just wonder if he will be an old one or a young one. We shall see.

 

[Trajan]

I think not. Bush used up our ability to move troops to another theatre of war.

and now for some reality.


Obama sent the marine amphib. contingent that was part of the 6th fleet to ....Afghanistan months ago. They are replacing them with marines from the US at this moment ( thats the 400 sheldon alludes to)...not a week ago, not 3 weeks ago, not 7...now.

the USS Enterprise the Carrier Air grp. that is assigned to the 6th fleet has been in the Persian gulf since....wait for it- 3 months go (when their commander was sacked for making vids as the XO years ago, remember that?).

Tunisia broke out over 7 weeks ago. The Enterprise which is a MUST for any no fly zone or air cover for any troops deployed had NOT been sent orders to move to the Med. until...wait for it.....2 days ago.

 

[Trajan]

as a general note it will be interesting seeing how this works out...so its okay now to get involved in regime change....

so what about, uhm Bashir? hes slaughtering and has been slaughtering people in the Darfur region for years...what up wit dat? he next?

Does the UN approve our going ashore and doing what needs to be done? hummmmmmm...

catch my drift?

 

[Sheldon]

as a general note it will be interesting seeing how this works out...so its okay now to get involved in regime change....

so what about, uhm Bashir? hes slaughtering and has been slaughtering people in the Darfur region for years...what up wit dat? he next?

Does the UN approve our going ashore and doing what needs to be done? hummmmmmm...

catch my drift?

The ICC wants to have a chat with Bashir whenever it's convenient for his schedule. Progress!

 

[Wry Catcher]

I think not. Bush used up our ability to move troops to another theatre of war.

and now for some reality.


Obama sent the marine amphib. contingent that was part of the 6th fleet to ....Afghanistan months ago. They are replacing them with marines from the US at this moment ( thats the 400 sheldon alludes to)...not a week ago, not 3 weeks ago, not 7...now.

the USS Enterprise the Carrier Air grp. that is assigned to the 6th fleet has been in the Persian gulf since....wait for it- 3 months go (when their commander was sacked for making vids as the XO years ago, remember that?).

Tunisia broke out over 7 weeks ago. The Enterprise which is a MUST for any no fly zone or air cover for any troops deployed had NOT been sent orders to move to the Med. until...wait for it.....2 days ago.

I'm no military expert but it seems our troops have been stressed by combat duty for longer than we were engaged in World War II; Russian has provided Libya with modern weapons, for a no-fly zone to operate anti-aircraft batteries and missles need to be put out of commission before our planes can safely enforce such a zone; and, what of the rest of the ME, nations which do not trust us now when we invade another country?
I experienced the power the Butler Class DE I served on had, to expect Libya and other nations with more modern equipment to passively stand by is too optimistic, and a likely incentive for more terrorims against us.
Let France and Germany and other European Nations handle this situation, they are the ones who rely on Libya's oil.

 

[Munin]

Libya: USS Enterprise on its way as US and UK threaten Gaddafi with no-fly zone | Mail Online


a video on this link: http://www.wvec.com/news/military/Pentagon-moving-forces-in-case-needed-for-Libya-117070048.html





"US policy has been: shake hands with tirans, so we could have some oil. That policy is falling apart"


http://rt.com/news/us-invasion-libya-weapons/

"UK special forces are already in the country", so the US special forces wil probably also be in there

 

[High_Gravity]

I really don't want any US Troops going into that country.

 

[Munin]

I really don't want any US Troops going into that country.

Oil: That s all that needs to be said about Libya. Khadaffi is the best excuse any foreign power has to gain better access to that oil.

http://rt.com/news/us-invasion-libya-weapons/

"Libya has the largest proven Oil reserves of Afrika"




The only problem is: the cost of war. Waging war costs money, even if it is a short one. But losing access to a whealty oil Nation will cost the US even more $, if Libya turns into another Iran then the Western World will have a problem.






It does seem that something will happen

 

[Flagwavrusa]

The extent of the intervention being talked about right now is bombing Lybian air force facilities and enforcing a no fly zone. Hopefully if the Obama administration decides to get involved they restrict it to to this, the last thing the U. S. needs is another ground war and an attempt at nation building. If Obama gets us into another quagmire he can forget about 2012, with or without a birth certificate.

 

[Munin]

The extent of the intervention being talked about right now is bombing Lybian air force facilities and enforcing a no fly zone. Hopefully if the Obama administration decides to get involved they restrict it to to this, the last thing the U. S. needs is another ground war and an attempt at nation building. If Obama gets us into another quagmire he can forget about 2012, with or without a birth certificate.

There are also a very large amount of marines going to the region

As the violence in Libya worsens, the U.S. has repositioned a number of its warships and dispatched 2,000 marines to the Mediterranean.

Time to bomb Libya? - The Week

 

[ekrem]

Won't happen.

 

[ekrem]

It would lead the USA to get into embarrassing situations in the next 'revolution(s)' in the Arab world.
Hypocrisy, when the USA would not intervene, if revolutions begin in let's say Jordan, an ally of USA.

 

[ekrem]

Meanwhile, the Russian military has said, that based on Satellite images, the alleged Airstrikes of the Libyan Airforce against its own people could not be confirmed.


Ghaddafi's son also said to CNN-Turk, that the Airforce did not fly against the people.

 

[Trajan]

the wraps have come off, in short the UN et al are as usual frozen. Shades of the Balkans....oh, everyone nows what should be done, but hey getting it done?

And really, should we or anyone get involved in Libyas affairs?...I have heard it asked over and over when the Us went into Iraq hey how come they don't there or over there or there,, they have 'tryants' too. etc etc .....well, here we are.


Gaddafi knows he needs to hold on to as many of the oil terminals and offshore production he can to keep the cash which is directed to him, in play so he can purchase anything he needs to put the 'rebels' down.

If they shut him down he shuts them down, I suspect hes got resources outside the systems purview that will keep him going for a while.


The what happens if a western friendly gov. starts to go down? Say Yemen? We going there too?

 

[Munin]

the wraps have come off, in short the UN et al are as usual frozen. Shades of the Balkans....oh, everyone nows what should be done, but hey getting it done?

And really, should we or anyone get involved in Libyas affairs?...I have heard it asked over and over when the Us went into Iraq hey how come they don't there or over there or there,, they have 'tryants' too. etc etc .....well, here we are.


Gaddafi knows he needs to hold on to as many of the oil terminals and offshore production he can to keep the cash which is directed to him, in play so he can purchase anything he needs to put the 'rebels' down.

If they shut him down he shuts them down, I suspect hes got resources outside the systems purview that will keep him going for a while.


The what happens if a western friendly gov. starts to go down? Say Yemen? We going there too?

I dunno, If we can create more pro US countries by just giving support to rebels rather than occupying a country (this was the case with Iraq: that was not a rebbelion, that was a military invasion). In the case of Yemen, we should support those rebels that are not aligned with Al Quada: so that these rebels come stronger out of the fight and will hopefully win.


We can give the rebels weapons to destroy Khadaffi, let the rebels do the ground war and use aircraft to do the air-to-air & air-to-ground war. Make a deal with the rebels to resque pilots (with the help of special forces), that way a Western Victory can be pretty "cheap". And the Libyans can legitimatly overtrow their own government with a "little" help from us.


The Iraqy and afghan wars are costly because it were occupational wars. Learn from the early Afghan war succes: very little troops and much air support, Libya is flat (not like the Afhan mountains) so that should be perfect for the air support (except for the cities).