UN approves no-fly zone over Libya
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council on Thursday approved a no-fly zone over Libya and authorized “all necessary measures” to protect civilians from attacks by Moammar Gadhafi’s forces.
The action came as the Libyan leader was poised to make a final push against rebels holding out in Bengazhi, Libya’s second largest city.
The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0 with five abstentions, including Russia and China.
The United States, France and Britain had pushed for speedy approval.
Full Story Here:
UN approves no-fly zone over Libya
Well, I am SO glad that the United Nations got it in gear and decided to act while the Libyan rebels were in control and pushing Moammar Gadhafi’s forces back.
I would hate to see Gadhafi’s forces have a chance to regroup, strengthen their forces and counterattack the rebels with massive air strikes and such.
Wait…Gadhafi’s forces did strengthen and counterattack the rebels with massive air strikes and such. Did the United Nations not get that memo?
I do NOT bite my words in say this, I am firmly convinced that the United Nations is THE most useless organization on the face of this earth. And given the fact that WE have Obama as POTUS, saying the U.N. is that useless is really saying something.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said if the resolution was approved, France would support military action against Gadhafi within hours. The U.S. said it was preparing for action. Several Arab nations were expected to provide backup.
Given the less than rapid response by the Obama regime, and the U.N. itself, given the less than stellar response by ALL parties involved, will there be any Libyan rebels left to save? Any that are willing, or able to fight on given the fact that they were hung out to dry?
Not to be a harbinger of doom, but, this must be said, our involvement in Iraq started as a no-fly zone thing, I hope we don’t end up with boots on the ground in Libya. I would hate for Obama to be accused of swapping blood for oil.
That is, after all, what the libbers said about Bush when we went to Iraq. Strangely, we haven’t seen ANY Iraqi oil in the U.S.
Surely the libbers weren’t *gasp* wrong?
Gadhafi vowed to launch a final assault on Benghazi and crush the rebellion as his forces advanced toward the city and warplanes bombed its airport Thursday.
As I said above, it’s a good thing the U.N. acted so swiftly. Yes, that IS sarcasm…
Gadhafi said in an interview broadcast Thursday on Portuguese public broadcaster Radiotelevisao Portuguesa that he rejected any U.N. threats of action.
Even Gadhafi knows, the U.N. is useless. This battle is all but done, the U.N. has weighed in far too late to affect the outcome, unless they do more than support a no-fly zone, one that most likely will be flown by U.S. military planes, at OUR expense.
He warned that any military action would be construed as “colonization without any justification” and would have “grave repercussions.”
OK, Saddam said pretty much the same thing, WMDs, death from above, the mother of all wars, these guys are great with rhetoric, but short on results when faced with a modern, and well equipped military. They can bully, and slaughter militias and insurgencies, especially ones that have NO air power, but, just like with Saddam, if this is done right, Gadhafi could be swinging on the end of a rope soon.
The text of the resolution calls on nations to “establish a ban on all flights in the airspace of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in order to help protect civilians.”
It also authorizes U.N. member states to take “all necessary measures … to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.”
Too little, too late I fear.
A motivated rebellion was taking place in Libya, these people were, to all outward appearances, true freedom fighters. Gadhafi has rallied his forces and is, as I type this, extracting his revenge on those that opposed him. A no-fly zone is a moot point once the battle has been won. Libyan ground forces can easily take apart the remaining rebels, even without air support.
And in the spirit of fair and balanced, who’s to say that had they been victorious, these rebels would not have become a radical Muslim force, one sworn to kill us, one bound to Sharia law?
It can happen. Iraq was supposed to be a walk in the park once Saddam was deposed.
Just pointing out the obvious…
Kill Gadhafi; game over. However in watching Beck’s program this pm, there seems to be a connection between Soros, Cass Sunstein and the White House in trying to make Gadhafi look legit prior to this revolt. Would love for this to be a smoking gun to force Obama out of office. Time to throw the traitors out.
The problem is the UN will expect the US to patrol the no fly zone… Tail wagging the dog again.
Firefox got me here
Well I don’t think we should do SHIT in Libya. I don’t care if everyone of the Libyan’s dropped dead RIGHT NOW. Matter of fact the only use I can see for any of them is to scoop them all up in a tanker and drop them on the nuclear reactor in Japan.
As far as Obama, he still is voting present. He hasn’t picked a side on anything since he took office other than the healthcare debacle and he’s getting his ass handed to him on that one. He’s gun shy.
The UN will do it.. Can’t wait till the reports of rape and carnage from those wonderful helpful blue helmets….
No other nation on earth has the logistical capability in which to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya except the US. The only ones that could come close would be Great Britain. Looking at a world map, unless the aircraft could be launched from bases in Africa, the closest other land bases would be Italy, Turkey, Greece, and Saudi Arabia. Launching from either of those countries would require air numerous air refuelings for the fighters to make the round trip journey and orbit over Libya. And, guess which nation has the bulk of air refueling capabilities? The other option would be for carrier based aircraft to cover the no-fly zone but then we run into that problem of air refueling again.
If there’s going to be a no-fly zone, Americans are going to be involved. But, look on the bright side, this will be some good target practice for our fighter jocks.
Bob, only if President Dumb-shit allows em to shoot something other than BEANBAGS…
Bean Bags?! Who said anything about Mexican old Ladies?! Are they immigrating to Libya too?
No no no, not Bean Bags, beanbags..
If it was old Mexican women it would be Beaner Bags…
Now that the fighting is all but over the UN is trying to act tough, but in the end they got what they wanted by not interfering in a nation’s problems while at the same time trying to make it appear as if they took a tough stand. (In that aspect the UN is much like Barack Obama.)
I’m with Robert: stand the hell back. Let the powder blue helmets do what needs to be done. It’s about time they did something.
Mr Obama votes present on everything.
People are actually starting to get irate.
Even Demorats.
Imagine that.
Mr Obama: once again “concerned” and “monitoring.”
BZ
You know what this really means. US planes, US troops, American dead, the Libyans hating our guts. Just another Iraq.
Katie — That’s pretty much what I see too! Iraq redux…
And I have to wonder, can these *Allahu Akbar* chanting asswipes tell the difference between U.S. jet fighters, French jet fighters, British jet fighters and Libyan jet fighters??
One reason for Boy Blunder’s dithering:
As pressure mounts on the White House to intervene to stop Moammar Gadhafi’s bloody crackdown in Libya, many commentators have been wondering why Barack Obama has been cautious in his criticism of the dictator after the U.S. president so fervently supported the removal from office of U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.
But Gadhafi has been tied to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s spiritual adviser for more than 23 years.
The Libyan dictator also has financed and strongly supported the Nation of Islam and its leader, Louis Farrakhan. Obama has ties to Farrakhan and his controversial group.
Obama’s Mystery Links to Qaddafi Uncovered - Rev. Wright
Honestly, I’m not optimistic for those rebels in Libya. I suspect that Gadaffi will prevail.
Just watched Fox News. A Pentagon expert said the US is going to take the lead in enforcing the no-fly zone because they’re the only ones with the logistics and air refueling capabilities that can get the job done. The Arab League wants a no-fly zone in place but I’m wondering how much money they’re going to pay to support it?