We'll use military force to free Libya, vows Brit PM: Cameron

Daily Mail Online ^ | 1st March 2011 | TIM SHIPMAN

[gandalftb]

David Cameron threatened Colonel Gaddafi with military action last night, promising a no-fly zone and arms shipments to his enemies.

In a dramatic move that could define his premiership, the Prime Minister even suggested he could send British troops into Libya as a peacekeeping force to stop Gaddafi’s henchmen massacring democracy campaigners.

At a National Security Council meeting yesterday morning, he ordered military chiefs to draw up plans for the no-fly zone. If Gaddafi turned his air force on the rebels, RAF warplanes would be able to intervene.

In another hard-hitting move, the Pentagon started moving warships in preparation to police a no-fly zone and world leaders imposed a raft of diplomatic and financial sanctions.

‘We must not tolerate this regime using military force against its own people,’ he told MPs. ‘In that context I have asked the Ministry of Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff to work with our allies on plans for a military no-fly zone. My message to Colonel Gaddafi is simple: go now. We do not in any way rule out the use of military assets.' Asked whether Britain could supply arms to the Libyan opposition, Mr Cameron told MPs: ‘It is certainly something we should be considering.

Britain signed an arms embargo at the weekend preventing further sales of weapons to Libya. But Mr Cameron could justify sending weapons to the rebels using a loophole in the embargo allowing ‘humanitarian’ weapons drops.

France said it would fly aid to the opposition-controlled eastern half of the country.

Britain could deploy up to 59 Eurofighter Typhoons from RAF Coningsby and RAF Leuchars in Scotland. They are expected to fly from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, where British ‘eye in the sky’ AWACS aircraft are already stationed.

[gandalftb]

NATO advisors are already in Benghazi. The Brits get a lot of oil from Libya and need to get the key oil port of Benghazi running again. Qaddafi is threatening to bomb the port, hence the urgency.

We will be needed to suppress the SAM sites first. Qaddafi is using merc's from Chad and the French are interdicting.

Two VC10 refueling tankers are already operatng out of RAF Akrotiri. Several more are needed for a full enforcement of a no-fly zone.

There is considerable concern that Qaddafi could use his known stores of mustard gas, delivered by his remaining air force.

Libya has 31 SAM sites:S-75 (SA-2 GUIDELINE), S-125 (SA-3 GOA), and S-200 (SA-5 GAMMON) defenses. The only SAM sites representing a threat to multiple aircraft are the S-200 locations at Tripoli, Misratah, Surt, and Benghazi, as they have multiple 5N62 (SQUARE PAIR) engagement radars. Libya has seventeen active early warning radar sites, used for SAM system target acquisition and track handoff, and GCI control of fighter units.

The following image depicts the SAM coverage. SA-2 zones are red, S-125 zones are light blue, and S-200 zones are purple. Obviously, targeting is not an issue, we just need to get all assets in place.

[skeeter]

Big friggen mistake.

[RexBeach]

Hmm. That’s a pretty long hop isn’t it? From Cyprus, even if tankers are available?

[ClearCase_guy]

I know Europe gets a lot of oil from Libya. If Libya wants to attack the sovereign nation of Libya and create a government there, then that's their business.

Libya has not attacked the US, and their oil is theirs, not ours.

There is no reason for the US to participate in this unilateral action. There is not even any UN invovlement. Whatever happened to the endless rounds of UN resolutions that must be approved before any nation can do anything?

[tallyhoe]

We should use military force it is in our best interest. Take out the tyrant once and for all! 2000 to 5000 marines with tanks and helicopter gun ships ought to do the job! Of course we ask the Libyans if they would like our assistance and after we capture Mommar we turn him over to the rebels. We need to have a presents here to show everyone we are behind democracy. This would send a clear message to Iran!

[Paladin2]

Libya was apparently a colony of Italy for a few years. Let the Italian Armed Forces take on this task.

[gandalftb]

It’s an acceptable range. We have a lot of bases and assets in Italy, 6th Fleet is in Gaeta. It’s better to make this look like an EU and NATO op to keep the jihadists from crying about US intervention and them framing it as a move to support Israel.

[Allegra]

Watching this...

verrry closely.

[bert]

It is probable that the Brits are engaging on the side of #2 son and is asked to yield support to his efforts that happen to have wide support

Being invited is a lot different than just invading

[EBH]

Sitting here thinking the same thing.

Military force to free Libya?

Really?

Odd bedfellows around the world these days...

[agere_contra]

Whatever happened to the endless rounds of UN resolutions that must be approved before any nation can do anything?

Everybody work up and realised that the UN are a bunch of terror-supporting paedophiles who can't even pay their parking tickets, and that there is no way the actions of any sovereign nation on earth should require a rubberstamp from them.

[TexasCajun]

As Erkel eats ice cream, golfs, shoots hoops!

[iopscusa]

Idiot Cameroon has no ability to project any military into the theater. How much can his masters, the EU project. We know who they think will do their bidding, NATO aka US Military.

[redgolum]

Have fun guys. But keep the US out.

We have had our fun, and don’t need to slap the proverbial tar baby again.

[agere_contra]

Woke up, d'oh.

[NeoCaveman]

No blood for oil.

(my turn)

[reagan_fanatic]

Big friggen mistake

Bump.

[gandalftb]

"Libya has not attacked the US"

Qaddafi and his henchmen have killed many Americans, Lockerbie, etc.

This is our chance to finish him and put as many as we can capture on trial for war crimes and terorism.

It would not be a unilateral action, but be done with full UN, NATO, and EU participation.

[omega4412]

Gaddafi has American blood on his hands, so he’s a fair target. It would be better politically for the Libyans to hang him than for a Western country to do it. Time for him to sleep with the Ceausescus.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Whatever happened to the endless rounds of UN resolutions that must be approved before any nation can do anything?"

You are merely pointing up to the hypocricy of all the European nations jumping to do something when their oil spigot is threatened to be turned off. I agree with you on this account. These hypocrites should be protesting, no blood for oil!!

Meanwhile it is in our best interests to see a stable region over there. Getting this situation under control would not take much effort from us and is a worthwhile cause. If we take the sides of the rebels as we should, we will hopefully have a say in how this North African country takes shape after this is over. If we sit back and idly let Al Queda or the Muslim brotherhood take over for the revolutionaries who want freedom and liberty, then we will have missed an opportunity and will live in a more dangerous world than before.