[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Let’s hope we don’t develop another parallel by getting involved in a protracted Libyan civil war."

I think we can end a protracted civil war merely by enforcing a no fly zone in western Libya. It will do two things, take away Gadaffi's force superiority. In the desert, tanks and planes rule the battlefield. It will also signal our intentions that we (the west) are serious about overthrowing Gadaffi. This will hasten defections of his military to the other side and desertion of his mercenary army.

As for our military developing close ties to the Iraqi military, I think you stretch greatly. Our aim in the Iraq/Iran war was a stalemate. We wanted to keep the balance of power the way it was between the two countries. When it appeared that Iraq was losing the war, the only thing we did for them was provide ariel intelligence on Iranian troop concentrations and movements. That's it. I know the anti war left has put out this canard about how we did this and that for the Iraqi military but it's all bunk. We merely wanted them not to lose. If they had, their shiite population would have overthrown Sadaam and our fear was two shiite dominated countries controlling the middle east.

Iraq had a close tie with Russia militarily. They had Russian military tactics and doctrine. I know. In Gulf War 1 I personally witnessed the burned out hulks of T-55's and T-62's. I saw all of their firearms, AK's and Markarov pistols. All soviet, not the west.

[silverleaf]

As SecDef Gates has said, a no-fly zone in Libya begins with an attack on Libya.

This time, unlike in ‘86, once we break Libya, we buy it.
We are just barely handling what we already broke and bought in Southwest Asia. Gates said a no-fly action would require two carriers on station, indefinitley. I just don’t see it.Logistically or politically. It seems any good will we generate by military intervention in a muslim conflict goes very stale in about a month, or less, once the pictures of dead “civilians” start htting al Jazeera.

The main action in Libya seems to be in the east, not the western desert. Not sure how much they are using their helos. The no fly zone over Iraq was a costly equipment-intensive long term campiagn that just led the Iraqis to ocntinue their war against us and their own people by other means.

Qadaffi may even want to goad us into an attack, it would again make him a victim of western aggression of a western/Israeli plot to seize arab oil.

Did not realize you served in DESERT STORM.
I was also involved before during and after.