Did we have any kind of diplomacy with Libya before we let the cruise missiles fly?

[Cali_Democrat]

I don't recall very many high level talks between the US Administration and Libyan officials. Why wasn't this path extensively perused before we let and bombs drop?

Did we even try diplomacy with Libya?

[DURHAM D]

1. Are you serious? nt

[MedleyMisty]

2. The Libyans asked for the cruise missiles

Do you know anything at all about what is going on there? Seriously? Like anything?

There are plenty of high level talks going on - with the national transitional government, who asked for UN help.

Do you even know that it was Sarkozy who pushed for this and that they only brought in the US towards the end of the talks because they know our reputation? And that a French professor who does not agree with Sarkozy's politics went to Benghazi and talked to the NTC and called Sarkozy and encouraged him to help them because if the UN didn't do anything they were all going to be killed?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixwx_B38678

Do note the banners thanking Sarkozy and the UN and "all the nations that stood with us".

[Arctic Dave]

4. How is talking with an opposition party bent on overthrowing the government

an avenue for negotiations between warring factions? I believe the OP was talking prior to us firing missiles into Libya.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. I'm referring talks between the US and Gaddafi's government. Negotiations....

Before we started using our weapons of war, did WE talk to Libyan officials extensively? Did the US Administration talk to Libyan officials?

It seems to me that the diplomatic path between Libya and the US should have been exhausted before we went to war with them.

[Hannah Bell]

12. which libyans asked for cruise missles?

that sarkozy is kind of a fink, considering as how he took campaign financing from khaddafi.

you mean the new "rebel" government that's going to be led by a libyan who spent most of his life in the US, with oil revenues under the care of a US-educated free-marketeer & privatizer?

freedom for all, oh yeah.

[ItNerd4life]

24. That was with the rebels, not the Libyan government.

Thus, no diplomacy.

[spanone]

3. mummar doesn't do diplomacy

[sabrina 1]

19. Wrong, we were BFF with Qaddafi right up to Feb.

of this year. France, Spain, Britain and the U.S. He was being wined and dined and rehabilitated with PR firms and whatever else he needed.

So, since we KNOW this is not a humanitarian effort, this same NATO coalition is currently killing civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan and its puppet Government is killing peaceful protesters in Iraq, so anyone who believes that you can slaughter people in one country on a daily basis and at the same time care so deeply about people you supposedly do not even know in another, needs their head examined.

Again, no sane person believes the 'humanitarian' claims anywhere in the world. And right now in so many places, the Congo, the Ivory Coast, Yemen, Syria where they are shooting people in the streets, and all over the world there are conflicts like this. However, Lybia has resources, not just OIL, but other resources.

Does it take a genius to guess why, out of all the conflicts in the world, some way worse than Lybia, we decided to be humanitarian in Lybia?

I fear for the Lybian people, they are about to be occupied, just like Iraq which is what they stated way back in the beginning, was the last thing they wanted.

[Zanzoobar]

5. Reagan sent them a warning.

But between all the other wars, we just haven't had time to follow up until now.

I'm just glad we kept a good supply of humanitarian bombs on hand.

[Schema Thing]

7. Yes

[Cali_Democrat]

9. US officials had extensive talks with Libyan officials before the boms dropped?

When?

[riverwalker]

8. imagine

if you will, Hannibel Lecter, on crack, Viagra and angel dust, raping, murdering and torturing a country for 40 f***ing years. Now imagine the people rise up against him. And you are gonna send a diplomat?

[David__77]

10. I don't think you'll get much more than snark.

The war party is very vocal right now. Gaddafi has been promoted to the "biggest evil in the history of the universe" club. How could you fathom diplomacy with such a madman-strongman-lunatic-war criminal?

[ItNerd4life]

23. Sadly, the snarky replies are still coming.

Let's see, 17 U.N. resolutions with Iraq with regime change and people were upset (me too) that we went to war.
1 resolution with Libya and that resolution is we are going to war. Nope, no diplomacy with Libya.

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. Good question. Embarrassing answer: no. n/t

[rabs]

13. The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli

Thanks to dubya and condi rice:

Condi: May 15, 2006, "Today marks the opening of a new era in U.S.-Libya relations that will benefit Americans and Libyans alike.”




About Us
The U.S. Embassy in Tripoli
Welcome to the official website of the United States Embassy in Tripoli, Libya. It took you just a few mouse clicks to get here, but it took us close to a generation!

On May 31, 2006 the United States of America and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah exchanged diplomatic notes confirming the upgrade of the U.S. Liaison Office in Tripoli to a U.S. Embassy. This exchange of notes follows upon Secretary Rice's announcement and report to Congress on May 15 of her intent to upgrade our level of diplomatic representation with Libya. The United States withdrew its last U.S. Ambassador to Libya in 1972. All remaining U.S. government personnel were withdrawn and the embassy was shut down after a mob attacked and set fire to the U.S. Embassy on December 2, 1979. Resumption of a direct diplomatic presence occurred on February 8, 2004 with the arrival of U.S. personnel at the U.S. Interests Section in Tripoli. That mission was upgraded to a Liaison Office on June 24, 2004.

As the Secretary of State announced on May 15, 2006, “Today marks the opening of a new era in U.S.-Libya relations that will benefit Americans and Libyans alike.”

More

http://libya.usembassy.gov/about-us.html

[Amonester]

14. I advise you should do your own researches.

Unless you don't know how to use search engines.

Although not specifically related to the conflict, here's an interesting article from the 198,000 'hits' returned by the google:


12/04/2010
The Gadhafi Cables
US Diplomats Struggle with an Eccentric Despot

By Juliane von Mittelstaedt

Link: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,732901,00.html

[Amonester]

15. Another informative link (more recent: 03/25/2011)

Gadhafi son toured US in weeks before uprising

Posted at: 03/25/2011 8:06 PM
By DANIEL WAGNER

(AP) WASHINGTON - A son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi toured U.S. ports and military facilities just weeks before he helped lead deadly attacks on rebels protesting his father’s authoritarian regime.

Khamis Gadhafi, 27, spent four weeks in the U.S. as part of an internship with AECOM, a global infrastructure company with deep business interests in Libya, according to Paul Gennaro, AECOM’s Senior Vice President for Global Communications. The trip was to include visits to the Port of Houston, Air Force Academy, National War College and West Point, Gennaro said.

The West Point visit was canceled on Feb. 17, when the trip was cut short and Gadhafi returned to Libya, Gennaro said. The uprising there began with a series of protests on Feb. 15.

By late February, forces controlled by Khamis Gadhafi were leading the brutal assault to retake Zawiya, a city near Tripoli that rebels captured soon after the uprising began.

Link: http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S2036032.shtml?cat=10036

[Amonester]

16. The search key words were: US diplomacy Gadhafi (n/t)

[rabs]

18. Has anyone seen this man recently?

and the rest of the U.S. Embassy staff in Tripoli?


Ambassador Gene A. Cretz


Mr. Cretz was nominated by the President on July 11, 2007 to serve as Ambassador to Libya, and was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Ambassador on November 20, 2008.

http://libya.usembassy.gov/principal.html

------------------

Thanks for the Der Spiegel story. Interesting read.

[Spider Jerusalem]

17. The Libyan intervention is a UN action, not a US action.

Diplomatic measures were taken by the UN as well as by EU member states and the US prior to military intervention as well. See here: http://www.euronews.net/2011/03/18/how-international-reaction-to-libya-evolved/

However, considering that Gaddafi's military were advancing on Benghazi with tanks; considering that Gaddafi had employed military aircraft and heavy weapons in attacks against civilians; considering that he continued to do so after the imposition of sanctions and calls from the international community that he cease the violence and step down...the time for diplomacy was at an end. The intervention prevented a massacre at Benghazi and a grave humanitarian crisis; I don't really see what could have been achieved by "tryuing diplomacy" whilst Gaddafi slaughtered thousands more civilians.

[pampango]

20. Thanks for answering the OP question. Glad that the UN took the lead rather than the US or

any other individual country.

[Sky Masterson]

21. Yeah!

Kadoofies forces would have waited to attack Benghanzi while the tan-man cried and tippy the turtle Mitch hurled the next talking point to a lazy press. I'm sure of it. We should have "dithered" more.

[Catherina]

22. Nope. And we stopped those who tried. Namely Chavez and the Peace Commission n/t

[Ikonoklast]

26. Hugo is sad his buddies are getting the axe.

No one took him seriously for good reason, he would have gladly 'negotiated' peace with his buddy Qaddafi while the population was being slaughtered.

[karynnj]

25. Well - there were about 4 weeks when the US told Gaddafi not to

kill protesters. His responses suggested he was going to massacre people in Benghazie.