Libyan Civil War Megathread

[Darth Wagtaros]

I think the Big G is there to stay.  Next time we should work on north Korea so they can't invade us in the Red Dawn remake.

[Valmy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. France is led by a Hungarian Jew. According to the First Law of French Warfare we are dealing with a nasty BBB right now, not the Cheese eating surrender Monkey's of the Chirac era.

Sarko is a Jew?  Who leads France?  Are you sure about this?

Sarko is a Roman Catholic who was born in Paris.

[Josephus]

If they were going to do this, they should have done it two weeks about when the rebs were winning.  Now that they're almost all crushed, I doubt this will do much.

Qadaffi's elite units are small though, wouldn't take much to rip them apart from the air. Once that's done the rebels should be able to retake the initiative.

But they're not going to do that unless Gadaffi's elite units take to the sky. This is a no-fly zone, not intervention.

The US has a long history of accidentally bombing things we say we don't really mean to though...

fyp

[Valmy]

fyp

Thank you Mr. Subtlety.

[derspiess]

John Boehner's dad?

[derspiess]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. France is led by a Hungarian Jew. According to the First Law of French Warfare we are dealing with a nasty BBB right now, not the Cheese eating surrender Monkey's of the Chirac era.

Sarko is a Jew?  Who leads France?  Are you sure about this?

He's only part Jew ethnically, and was raised Catholic.  I'm not sure that's Jew enough for the French to care.

But they're not going to do that unless Gadaffi's elite units take to the sky. This is a no-fly zone, not intervention.

Since Hillary said we might have to do some bombing, that means we can bomb whatever the hell we feel like bombing.

[jimmy olsen]

If they were going to do this, they should have done it two weeks about when the rebs were winning.  Now that they're almost all crushed, I doubt this will do much.

Qadaffi's elite units are small though, wouldn't take much to rip them apart from the air. Once that's done the rebels should be able to retake the initiative.

But they're not going to do that unless Gadaffi's elite units take to the sky. This is a no-fly zone, not intervention.

I was of the understanding this authorized everything short of boots on the ground. Am I mistaken?

[Caliga]

He's only part Jew ethnically, and was raised Catholic.  I'm not sure that's Jew enough for the French to care.

Ok, thanks for clarifying.

[Tamas]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. France is led by a Hungarian Jew. According to the First Law of French Warfare we are dealing with a nasty BBB right now, not the Cheese eating surrender Monkey's of the Chirac era.

Sarko is a Jew?  Who leads France?  Are you sure about this?

Sarko is a Roman Catholic who was born in Paris.

Fuck you too!

His father was a Hungarian, his mother was a (french?) jew.

[KRonn]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/18/libya.civil.war/index.html?hpt=C1

Libya announces cease-fire amid foreign military moves

(CNN) -- Libya announced an "immediate" cease-fire and a halt to military action Friday, hours after the U.N. Security Council authorized the use of force to protect besieged civilians in Libya.

Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa said Libya is "obliged to accept the Security Council resolution that permits the use of force to protect the civilian population."

He said Libya has decided on "an immediate ceasefire and the stoppage of all military operations."

It was not immediately clear how his announcement could affect plans of some countries to intervene militarily in Libya -- authorities in Britain and France had talked before Koussa's remarks of imminent military action.

Speaking to reporters Friday in Tripoli, Koussa said Libya plans to protect civilians and provide them with humanitarian assistance and that it is obliged to protect all foreigners and their assets. He also called for a fact-finding mission to sort out the events on the ground.

Koussa says the Libya was disappointed in the imposition of a no-fly zone, arguing that it will hurt the civilian populatio. He also said the use of military power violates the country's sovereignty and goes against the U.N. charter, but he acknowledged that some countries may yet intervene.

"There are signs this indeed might take place," Koussa said.

Earlier Friday, talk emerged in Europe of swift military action against Moammar Gadhafi's regime.

Speaking in an interview with RTL radio, French government spokesman Francois Baroin said France plans to participate in what he described as "swift" efforts.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain has started preparations to deploy aircraft, and "in the coming hours" they will move to air bases where they will be positioned for any "necessary action."

Spain will offer NATO the use of two military bases and also provide air and naval forces for use in operations involving Libya, Defense Minister Carme Chacon said on Friday in Madrid, a defense ministry spokesman told CNN.

The two bases to be offered in southern Spain are the Rota air-naval station, where a contingent of U.S. troops is also based, and the airbase at Moron de la Frontera. Those, as well as the offer to provide air and naval assets, would be subject to parliamentary approval, the minister said at an event at a Spanish air base in Madrid, the spokesman said.

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to make remarks on the Libyan crisis on Friday afternoon.

The council Thursday night voted 10 to 0 with five abstentions to authorize "states to take all necessary measures to protect civilians." It also imposed a no-fly zone, banning all flights in Libyan airspace, with exceptions that involve humanitarian aid and evacuation of foreign nationals.

The decisive Security Council move comes after weeks of civil war between the Gadhafi regime and opposition forces, a conflict spurred by an anti-government uprising and regime violence against civilians, which the U.N. resolution cites as "outrageous."

Details have not fully emerged of how an international military operation might unfold in Libya.

The United States and its NATO partners have several contingencies in place to act quickly, according to an administration official familiar with planning. They include air strikes and cruise missile attacks designed to cripple Libyan air defenses and punish the military units that are leading Gadhafi's push on opposition strongholds in the east, the official said.

Obama will insist on a major Arab role in any no-fly zone, the official said.

The Arab League's U.N. ambassador, Yahya Mahmassani, said two Arab countries would take part in a no-fly zone operation, but he was not sure which two.

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday that establishing a zone would take "upwards of a week."
Frustration and anger in Benghazi
Libyan rebel: We've seen heavy gunfire
No-fly zone a slippery slope to more?
Libya 'welcomes' U.N. resolution
RELATED TOPICS

    * Libya
    * United Nations Security Council
    * Middle East Conflict

But the U.S. military does not view a no-fly zone alone as sufficient to stop Gadhafi. Military officials have said that this move would not halt the heavy artillery the regime is using on the ground.

All commercial air traffic has been shut down in Libya, an official at Eurocontrol said on Friday.

The opposition, with devoted but largely untrained and under-equipped units, has suffered military setbacks this week. But their hopes were buoyed by the U.N. vote, particularly in rebel-held Benghazi, where an assault by pro-Gadhafi forces has been expected.

The resolution singles out the city. It says U.N. member states can "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."

Gadhafi's son Saadi told CNN Thursday evening that troops will change their tactics and take up positions around Benghazi Saturday or Sunday and assist people fleeing from the city.

The younger Gadhafi said there will be no large-scale assault. Instead police and anti-terrorism units will be sent into the rebel stronghold to disarm the opposition. Unspecified humanitarian groups can help with the exodus of civilians from Benghazi, Saadi Gadhafi said.

In a radio address aired on Libyan state TV, Gadhafi criticized residents of Benghazi and called them "traitors" for seeking help from outsiders.

Along with France, Britain and the United States voted for the resolution, which condemns the "gross and systematic violation of human rights, including arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture and summary executions."

It details enforcement of an arms embargo against Libya, the freezing of assets and a ban on most flights.

"The United States stands with the Libyan people in support of their universal rights," said U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice.

The abstentions came from China, Russia, Germany, India, and Brazil. Germany said it was concerned about a protracted military conflict. China said it opposes the use of armed force in international relations.

[citizen k]

But they're not going to do that unless Gadaffi's elite units take to the sky. This is a no-fly zone, not intervention.

Any unit that is a threat to the civilian population is fair game.

[Berkut]

But they're not going to do that unless Gadaffi's elite units take to the sky. This is a no-fly zone, not intervention.

Any unit that is a threat to the civilian population is fair game.

Which pretty much means any unit anywhere at any time.

I am frankly very surprised that such an open ended resolution passed.

Interesting to see what Qaddafi does. I am not buying his "immediate cease fire" talk. Although it would be pretty awesome (and not just for Libya) if the threat of UN action causes him to just decide "fuck it, I think I will retire to Monaco..."

[Caliga]

Apparently, despite Moosa Caboosa's announcement, Gadhafi's forces are still trying to storm Misrata.  France to the rescue?

[garbon]

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday the United States was not impressed by words of ceasefire from the Libyan government and would keep pressing for leader Muammar Gaddafi to step down.

"We are going to be not responsive or impressed by words, we would have to see actions on the ground and that is not yet at all clear," Clinton said to reporters after meeting with Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore.

[Malthus]

Apparently, despite Moosa Caboosa's announcement, Gadhafi's forces are still trying to storm Misrata.  France to the rescue?

Cry havoc! And let slip the frogs of war.