UK PM Cameron proposed a no-fly zone. Sec. Gates said no. We have UK and France wanting a no-fly zone again. Now we're hearing maybe NATO will do it or maybe we'll ask the UN. Obama dithers. The longer he works on his golf game, rather than take decisive action, the more he undermines America's leadership position.
No one is asking us to do nation building or put boots on the ground in Libya. The rebels have said they can handle the ground war but are sitting ducks for aircraft. The longer the West does nothing when called upon to help, the greater risk there is of genocide by Gadhafi's forces.
Sorry, this isn't about our leadership position (the fact that we've been reluctant to do anything, so nothing has in fact happened settles the score on that one); it's simply not our fight. We have no vital interests in Libya. If Europe wants to secure it's oil supply there, than they can do it themselves and we'll provide AWAC support or other inexpensive, non-combat roles to fulfill our treaty obligations like they do; let the Germans fight this one. NATO is a euphemism for the U.S., with some British back-up and French applause. It's a backdoor way of getting the U.S. to do it and everyone knows it. We haven't been "called upon to help" either, in fact most of the rebels on the street are telling us not to get involved, and in any event, there's no organized leadership to deal with anyway. If we did help them, they would just as likely end up hating us and we'll be held responsible for the Islamist government that follows. If they want to slaughter their own people, it surely wouldn't be the first time the world watched, i.e, Darfur, Rwanda, Congo, etc. Maybe the African union should take the lead, or the EU, or gee, how about the Arab world. No more for us.