[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.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"I was also involved before during and after."

Myself also. I don't think we would have to break it.(Libya) We would have to knock out their air defenses and then fly air patrols. I think Gates exaggerates about the two aircraft carriers on station because the CnC does not want to do it. Obama has been dragging his feet this whole time. Let's remember, he rented a ferry to evacuate Americans out!! If we got a coalition together such as Britian, France, Italy and possibly Spain we don't shoulder the burden alone. Our contribution would be one aircraft carrier on station. Which we usually have one in the Med anyways.