Libya is United in Popular Revolution – Please No Western Military Intervention

[Better Believe It]

Libya is United in Popular Revolution – Please Don't Intervene
We welcome a no-fly zone, but the blood of Libya's dead will be wasted if the west curses our uprising with failed intervention
by Muhammad min Libya
March 1, 2011

All Libyans, even the pro-Gaddafi minority, believe that it's only a matter of time before Libya regains its freedom. But the frightening question remains: how many martyrs will fall before Gaddafi does? How many souls will he take before the curse is broken?

This happy ending, however, is marred by a fear shared by all Libyans; that of a possible western military intervention to end the crisis.

Don't get me wrong. I, like most Libyans, believe that imposing a no-fly zone would be a good way to deal the regime a hard blow on many levels; it would cut the route of the mercenary convoys summoned from Africa, it would prevent Gaddafi from smuggling money and other assets, and most importantly it would stop the regime from bombing weapons arsenals that many eyewitnesses have maintained contain chemical weapons; something that would unleash an unimaginable catastrophe, not to mention that his planes might actually carry such weapons.

Nevertheless, one thing seems to have united Libyans of all stripes; any military intervention on the ground by any foreign force would be met – as Mustafa Abud Al Jeleil, the former justice minister and head of the opposition-formed interim government, said – with fighting much harsher than what the mercenaries themselves have unleashed.

Nor do I favour the possibility of a limited air strike for specific targets. This is a wholly popular revolution, the fuel to which has been the blood of the Libyan people. Libyans fought alone when western countries were busy ignoring their revolution at the beginning, fearful of their interests in Libya. This is why I'd like the revolution to be ended by those who first started it: the people of Libya.


Libyan demonstrators, flying the Kingdom of Libya flag, in the main square of Benghazi on 28 February 2011.

Read the full article at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/mar/01/libya-revolution-no-fly-zone

[lunasun]

1. this is how it should go down not to europe /usa war game plan

too bad oil is involved no air strikes or war ships

[AndyTiedye]

2. A "No Fly" Zone IS Military Intervention

You need fighter planes in the air to enforce it, and Gaddafi's anti-aircraft batteries will try to shoot those planes down.

[joshcryer]

25. They mean "no intervention" as tanks on the ground and bombing without the authority...

...of the Liberated Libyan Council.

[AndyTiedye]

28. Still Gets Messy When They Need to Take Out the AA Batteries, or When Planes Get Shot Down

Qaddafi has no doubt set up his antiaircraft batteries in places where any attempt to take them out will cause civilian casualties.

[roamer65]

3. So do we just stand by and let a humanitarian disaster happen?

Just thought I'd ask.

[Better Believe It]

4. YES! Should the "west" carry out a military action opposed by the people of Libya?

[Thunderstruck]

9. If the Libyans prefer to do it themselves, then we should leave them

to it - with the exception of preventing Ghadafi's aerial massacres.

[joshcryer]

26. They do want to do it themselves, but they have not ruled out airstrikes and no-fly-zones.

If push comes to shove and they request it should the UN say no?

[Baclava]

12. If Darfur in the Sudan had any oil production going we could have saved them too, eh

Bad luck there.

You really don't think British Petroleum has anything to do with this sudden military intervention?

[MedleyMisty]

5. What I'm picking up in Twitter chatter

is that they want humanitarian aid - medical supplies, food, water, blood, doctors, etc. And freezing Gaddafi's assets and action taken to prevent the mercenaries from other countries getting in.

What they don't want is to end up like Iraq.

[TheKentuckian]

7. No question. Who's calling for the Marines?

[jberryhill]

15. The marines are being sent for possible evac operations

There are still significant numbers of British nationals there. Special forces have been making contact, and they need to be moved out.

[pinboy3niner]

17. The Kearsarge also has a humanitarian relief (medical) capability

It has six operating theaters and the ability to care for 600 patients.

According to wiki:

These facilities allowed Kearsarge to serve a dual role during the 1999 NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as a platform for bombing missions against Serb forces in Operation Allied Force, and as a treatment facility for Albanian refugees in Operation Shining Hope.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kearsarge_(LHD-3)

[Baclava]

19. Maybe that's all that will be needed....let's hope

You'd think the British SAS assassination squads must have had at least one clean shot at Gaddafi by now though, eh?

Save British Petroleum, and all that. Eliminate a spot of trouble, no?

[pinboy3niner]

20. You'd think one of his defecting pilots, instead of ditching...

...might steer toward his compound and give him the best "Take this job and shove it" message ever. :)

[TheKentuckian]

27. Acknowledged, I was more asking who is calling for an invasion/occupation?

Who is demanding a ground war?

I think about no one around here.

[Baclava]

6. You want a 'no-fly' zone....you got it

...to the shores of Tripoli....here come the Marines

US warship headed to Libya

WASHINGTON — A US warship with hundreds of Marines on board headed towards Libya on Tuesday, defense officials said, as US and European allies sought to pile pressure on embattled leader Moamer Khadafi.

The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship accompanied by two other naval vessels, was expected to pass through the Suez Canal soon from the Red Sea, two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.


USS Kearsarge

"There are sailors on ships heading that way, it's real."

An American aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise -- which has fighter jets that could enforce a possible no-fly zone -- could also be called upon for the Libya crisis. The carrier is currently in the north of the Red Sea, according to the US Navy's website.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h9fCJ8iPN58xQLgPShjxx8T2W80g?docId=CNG.20a483b584197aaccaa0d901ac4be9a7.741

Carrier Battle Group



Surely they're tired of rounding up pirates by now, let them blow some shit up, eh.

anything to save British Petroleum

[robcon]

8. Let Gaddafi continue his massacres? I disagree.

Western forces should enforce a no-fly zone, and take other measures to reduce the carnage.

[Baclava]

10. Blowing up SAM sites, anti-aircraft batteries...you know this means war, right?

So you want to take out their air defenses first? Sounds like war to me.


U.S. general warns no-fly zone could lead to all-out war in Libya as British PM sounds retreat on military action


Imposing a no-fly zone on Libya could lead to an all-out war, a senior U.S. military figure warned today.

America and Britain have been discussing closing the skies above the crisis-torn country to prevent Moammar Gaddaffi carrying out air strikes on opposition forces.

But General James Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, said today: ‘It would be a military operation – it wouldn’t be just telling people not to fly airplanes.

'You would have to remove air defence capability in order to establish a no-fly zone, so no illusions here.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361600/Libya-USS-Enterprise-way-US-UK-threaten-Gaddafi-fly-zone.html#ixzz1FPIZIsK8

[eridani]

16. Libyans are fine with a no-fly zone

They don't want an invasion or bombings, however "smart."

[jberryhill]

22. You can't have a no-fly zone without taking out anti-aircraft installations /nt

[joshcryer]

24. The Libyans are fine with airstrikes, but no planes can land, and no troops on the ground.

[David__77]

11. Hopefully this is just posturing.

It's a good thing the US is nearly broke, for the sake of world peace. Wanna shore up the Gaddafi government? Keep up with the neocon intervention talk.

[Baclava]

13. Posturing...sabre-rattling ....gunboat diplomacy ...you can usually tell the difference...but now?

I dunno...it can go in any direction.

I'm storing boat gas, just in case.

[hulka38]

14. You're right,

talk of intervention is the neocon/neolib agenda.

[Baclava]

18. Relax - it's just a humanitarian mission

US warship headed to Libya

A US warship with hundreds of Marines on board headed towards Libya on Tuesday, defense officials said, as US and European allies sought to pile pressure on embattled leader Moamer Khadafi.

The USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship accompanied by two other naval vessels, was expected to pass through the Suez Canal soon from the Red Sea, two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

"We're certainly moving assets to be closer (to Libya)," one of the defense officials said.

The Kearsarge amphibious ready group, with about 800 marines, a fleet of helicopters and medical facilities, could support humanitarian efforts as well as military operations. An American aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise -- which has fighter jets that could enforce a possible no-fly zone -- could also be called upon for the Libya crisis. The carrier is currently in the north of the Red Sea, according to the US Navy's website.


http://ca.news.yahoo.com/us-warship-headed-libya-officials-20110301-101259-126.html

[hulka38]

21. It would be a shame

if that no-fly zone were to escalate into something unfortunate as a bombing campaign and ground operations. We took care of that thing Mr. BP. Nah, the other thing.

[joshcryer]

23. Gaddafi is saying that if anyone takes humanitarian aid they are "traitors."