Libya has become a bit of "wild card" in this game. But it makes absolutely no sense that Ghaddafi (sp) would want to use these weapons against us. He has been trying way too hard lately to rejoin the "community of nations". He's hammered out a deal with the EU/Lockerbie victims and he has actually been quite outspoken against the 9/11 attacks and radical Islam.
These missiles have a finite value- their range. Ghaddafi wants Africa. We would likely not intervene if he were to make some power play on one of his neighbors. Why would we? We have no strategic interest in Northern Africa in the sense that we do in the Middle East.
I picture Libya going after the North African Coast. Morrocco, Algeria- eventually Egypt. Then heading south. Or vice versa. There's a lot of riches to the south. Ghaddafi is way too ambitious to make a second typical Arab blunder of using the missiles to threaten us or our interests- in the present.
That's just me though.
Aug 20- State Dept. wary of African drive to have Libya chair U.N. human rights commission
African members of the United Nations have picked Libya to chair the next session of the Human Rights Commission. The choice was confirmed at last month's inaugural summit of the new African Union...
Aug 17: Mugabe pays off Libya with an embassy
PRESIDENT MUGABE has run up such colossal debts that he is reported to have handed over the deeds of his country's High Commission in the Strand in London to Colonel Gaddafi of Libya as surety on an oil deal.snip...
The Zimbabwean leader has already parted with hotels, farms seized from their white owners and some of his country's most valuable assets to ensure that Libya does not halt its vital oil supplies.
Colonel Gaddafi has been given a controlling share in the oil pipeline between Zimbabwe and the Mozambique port of Beira. He also has a significant shareholding in Zimbabwe's state-owned energy company Noczim and top hotels.
Ghaddafi is making a power play here. A smart one too. He'll wind up with a major stake in subSaharan Africa without the necessity of military invasion. I don't pretend to really know what he's up to- but what is certain is- he's up to something.
Dear Euroweenies :
Enjoy the fruits of your labor with regards to the war on terrorism. ciao.
A Libyan nation armed with IRBMs or SRBMs is a direct threat to the "soft underbelly of Europe". Remember that we used the shores of Tripoli as a staging point for the southern invasion of "Fortress Europe" during World War II. Too bad most Euro-weenie diplomats can't see this potential threat due to their overwhelming desire to obtain Libyan oil contracts.
Also, If Libya was to get its hands on a fraction of Iran's stockpile of Chinese produced anti-ship missiles, shipping in the Med would SERIOUSLY impaired. The presence of these missiles would greatly impinge our naval fleet to operate in the region until all launchers are eradicated.
The Iranian ASM missile threat was significant during the Gulf War however, their capabilities have increased significantly due to their involvement with the Chinese. Thank-you very little mr. Clinton. Again, this fact is being accounted for by our war-planners for the 2nd Gulf War.
jriemer
As part of National Military Appreciation Month, the Department of Defense is gathering signatures on a brief message thanking the men and women of the U.S. military for defending our freedom. The compiled list of names will be sent out to our soldiers at the end of the month. So far, there are only about 546,000 names. It is really easy. The web page brings up a space to type your name, city and state.