Torpedos Over Tripoli

If the Colonel had been where he was supposed to be when we hit his ass in 86, we wouldn't be having this conversation today.

 

Quiver?

 

The British have now joined them, but French fighter jets were the first in the air over Libya.

 

They're providing the airplanes. Their fighters took out some tanks today.

 

I think it's great when a dictator is taken down. But let's be honest ... any country only follows their own interest. Where was the outrage when the Rwandan massacre was happening?

 

I'll say it's only great when a dictator is taken down if something better replaces him -- not just for a year or two, but something long-term and better. Hopefully that happens here. Will it? Time will tell, I guess. It will be darn interesting to follow.

 

I'm sure there is more but Panama is the only place I can think of where that has worked.

 

It seems fairly apparent that when, not if, when, Western ground troops come into play, they will be French. And Boom, the French were indeed first into this. It might not be smart for them, either, but that's how it's playing out.

 

What is France's impetus for involvement here? It's not a former colonial power in Libya. What are France's relevant business interests?

 

Oil. France gets its oil from Libya.
Or at least that's my understanding.

 

From the BBC News Service:

"Analysis
Paul Adams BBC News, Washington

Despite the fact that it was French war planes which launched the first attacks, it's clear that this early phase of the operations is an overwhelmingly American affair - all but a very small number of cruise missiles have been fired from American ships and submarines.

Only they have the capability to inflict the sort of damage to Libya's air defences that's needed before a no-fly zone can be safely patrolled, a point alluded to by President Obama even as he repeated the limits of American involvement.

President Obama has launched these attacks with great reluctance and seems anxious that this not be interpreted as yet another American-led foray into the Arab world.

But for all his desire to be seen to take a back seat, he and everyone else knows that this sort of thing doesn't happen unless Washington is deeply involved."