[A Navy Vet]

Exactly what was the intention of our involvement? Has anyone ever articulated it, other than some general humanitarian effort?

It's a g-damn civil war in a part of the world that has them all the time! Why should we give a damn!? And what does any of it have to do with our national interests or even NATO's interests? NATO is a useless relic of the Cold War and should be dissolved.

And I want to ask all the African-Americans why the US hasn't tried to stop the continuous slaughter in the Sudan, Somalia, Congo, and other parts of Africa. Where are you Franken, Jackson, and all you bleeding hearts when needed?

Children are starving and being hacked to pieces every day in your precious Motherland - but you say little to nothing. I absolutely despise you hypocritical liberal/socialist opportunists.

[Niuhuru]

Just because of that rant alone, will you marry me? :)

[Vanders9]

I'm not sure of this, because nations play the game of internatioal power politics with their cards VERY tight up against their chest, but I don't think this is an oil heist (as others have claimed) as the west owns or controls most of the Libyan production facilities anyway.

I think the real motivation is to stabilise oil prices. Libya is not a big supplier of oil (I think the UK gets less than 1% of its oil from Libya. The French only a bit more) but the fact that the country was dissolving into civil war caused the oil markets to get very jittery (possibly they thought the unrest would spread?) Anyway, that pushed prices up at a time when western economies were struggling/in recession/trying to get out of recession. Hence, attempt to resolve situation by intervention. They havent gone in harder because a) they cant afford it b) they dont want civilian morale to crack in Libya and c) it was by no means certain the anti-gaddaffi forces would win.

Incidentally, today Britain formally recognised the rebels as the legitimate government of Libya, and expelled the remainder of Gaddafti's people - so I guess they have decided which way to jump.

[bert]

-——Why should we give a damn!?———

We took part because we are part of NATO. They asked, we reluctantly assented.

The thrust of this article has been missed by all. The Reason for winding down the war criminal activity is because the objective was obtained. We don’t know what it was, but the Brits and the French obviously do.

I am surprised that there was not a counter attack killing Sarkosy and some prominent Brit and a singularly important American or his kids. Collectively, they murdered family of the Libyan leader including young grand kids and are in damger of retribution