[Professional]

Great point. If support is dozens of hours away as the general implied, then laser pointing would make no sense.

The idea that we have people in Libya and leave them with some pistols is at least pathetically stupid at the very least.

Seriously. How how hard is it to drop a smart bomb from an attack plane capable a speed of sound type speed?

I’m no military guy. But I’d thinking some base could deliver a plane from Italy to Libya inside of 20 minutes? Someone help me out here.

[cynwoody]

But I’d thinking some base could deliver a plane from Italy to Libya inside of 20 minutes?

It's 467 miles from Naval Air Station Sigonella (on Sicily) to Benghazi. The gunship in question, the AC-130U maximum speed is 300 mph. So figure a couple of hours. Plenty of time to be relevant, at least with regard to the two SEALs killed by mortar fire, reportedly while painting the mortar crew with a laser designator.

Of course, if it's really true they were using a laser target designator, that means there must have been something up in the air that could make use of the target paint. Perhaps an armed drone? Or maybe a gunship actually was on site but was told to hold its fire.

[andyk]

But I’d thinking some base could deliver a plane from Italy to Libya inside of 20 minutes? Someone help me out here.

Given the stories of ground lazing, that's what puts the "A" in an F/A-18 jet. Maybe not 20 minutes, but an hour certainly isn't out of the question. Considering the supposed seven hours of engagement on the ground, we need to hear better reasons why there wasn't air support.